Something Fishie

Thoughts on Saddle Up Texas Results

2012-01-15T21:54:00.000-06:00

We're still finding event coverage, but given that Ron Paul won the text poll by a huge margin, and given that he won the in-person vote by 4 percentage points, I doubt the media will be reporting the story of the poll results, except, perhaps, as a means to pound on Perry for his poor showing.

First, for the record, the results:

There were in-person votes of 707, and text votes of 3321.

I want to say a few words about the results. First, Ron Paul did so well because his supporters invested time and money to participate and spread the word about the event. They turned the event into a rally, a fun gathering, but one in which they were determined to have an impact on the results. Anyone who supports a candidate and complains about how Ron Paul supporters push for their candidate needs to check himself and get over it. These supporters recognized a chance to send a message about support for Ron Paul, and they took full advantage of it. Only Newt Gingrich supporters had the vision to do the same, and guess what place Newt took in the poll? SECOND. RIGHT BEHIND RON PAUL. After three years plus of opposing big government, wasteful spending and class warfare, one would think conservatives supporting an idea or a candidate would learn that they need to do more than just feel a certain way. They MUST learn to act. They must do more than listen to speeches and watch debates and cheer from their armchairs. They must also WORK for their cadidate of choice. I already hear the grumbling of "Of COURSE Ron Paul won the poll." There's no "OF COURSE" about it. Get off your butt. Support YOUR candidate like that, and there's no telling how far he will go. Envision what would have happened if YOU cared enough to invest an entry fee, bring ten like-minded friends, sent e-mails to encourage others to do the same. Quit bitching about Ron Paul and start taking notes.

So kudos to the Ron Paul team. Well done. I don't care what anyone says, you are learning a lot about campaigning, building momentum, and fighting for what you believe in. For the record, I did not vote for Ron Paul in either poll, and can't be counted among the Supporter Class he has built, so don't even start with the accusations that I'm shilling for Ron Paul.

A few more things; Ron Paul supporters, numerous as they were at the event, couldn't dominate the in-person poll the way they did the text vote. This reflects the fact that Paul has a long way to go to convince primary voters (whose votes can't be gamed like a text poll) that he should have their support. The differences in the poll results between in-person and text polling should signal that the game isn't merely won by a battle of perception. It must also be won on the streets, block by block, house by house, and person by person. People discount Paul poll wins precisely because they are so easily gamed. Serious candidates have ground game in the primary. It will be interesting to see whether Paul has that level of support as the candidates, the Bedouin of politics, drag their caravans from state to state.

Also, Gingrich, Santorum, and Perry appear clustered in the middle. People who discount Ron Paul automatically will say that this is now a three-way tie in Texas for the Not Romney slot. Most interestingly, Mitt Romney finished fifth in both polls, indicating almost zero support for Romney in Texas. I suspect that's because his team had no presence in Texas, because the voters at the poll trended towards tea party, and because perhaps Texans and conservatives wanted to tweak Iowa and New Hampshire a little.

The event was a wonderful celebration, but the biggest loser wasn't Romney or Huntsman. The biggest loser was the Texas GOP and the local Republican parties who did not support the event. Harris County GOP and Fort Bend GOP both supported the event through their executive committees, and Fort Bend had a significant presence during the event, led by Chair Sharon Roberts (not so much HCRP Chair Jared Woodfill.) But it would be difficult to find any other county Republican party who did anything to support the idea of a Texas GOP straw poll. If anyone can find any other local party that supported the endeavor, I will publish a correction. And eat my shorts.

Most disappointing was the lack of involvement from the state party. The Republican Party of Texas had floated the idea of a poll well after Saddle Up planning was underway, and reported that there was not enough interest to put on the event. That's fair. Endeavors like this cost huge sums, involve many people, and involve a huge element of risk.

But given that the RPT didn't have to invest ANYTHING into such an event, one wonders why they were so loathe to help publicize it. I have met Chairman Steve Munisteri, supported his election, and spoken with him at length before the planning for this event, and I am dumbfounded at the reason the party refused to send even one e-mail on behalf of the event. I won't make wild accusations or surmises, but I personally believe he owes me an explanation. Chairman Munisteri, if you're paying attention, you have my number. I'm always available to take your call. Just be aware, there are rumblings deep in the grassroots about the leadership in the RPT, and this deliberate snub has only increased it. You will have a long way to climb before you're above ground. Reelection is right around the corner, unless the primary dates keep getting pushed back, and Saddle Up now has a pretty extensive contact list. I'm just saying.

It was a three-day political conference unlike anything else we've ever put on. People had a great time; the speakers were phenomenal, the Veterans so inspiring, the musicians so fantastic, the emcees - all our favorite radio hosts in one weekend! - were so generous and gracious, the presenters were so informative, the attendees so responsive and supportive, the Minute Maid staff and contractors so professional and helpful. We could not have asked for a better first-effort result. As VP of the organization behind Saddle Up, I have to say I've got immense respect and inexpressible admiration for all the people who worked so hard for no personal gain, just the chance to give Texas a voice and help some Veterans' organizations with their good work. You can still make donations to the cause at the Saddle Up website.

And to the Senate candidate who bailed without word, notice or even a "screw you" - I can not express how pissed I am. David Dewhurst and his team owes all the attendees a huge apology, not to mention the organizers. Again, you have my number. Don't send a minion to talk to me, either. I'm done with that. I took this blow-off very personally.

Texas and the nation have not heard the last of Saddle Up Texas. This is only the beginning.

Saddle Up!

Friday Favorites #12

2011-12-30T13:20:00.001-06:00

Hello, my dears! I hope the week since we've been together has been full of fun, family and food - I know mine was. Our families enjoyed getting together to celebrate old traditions and create some new ones. And I learned a few things, too. Namely, don't play nice in a white elephant gift exchange with my sisters.

So let's hop right in with:

HOW TO WASH YOUR CAR WITH ONE BUCKET OF WATER - It's amazing what one bucket of water will do for a car. Or to it.

BOX OFFICE STATS HIT 16 YEAR LOW - I can't afford the movies anymore, so this doesn't surprise me. There are so many movies I want to see now, too, like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Muppets, Hugo; I'm even making an exception to my "No Tom Cruise Movies Ever Again" rule and thinking about seeing the new Mission Impossible movie. But unlike other forms of entertainment, movie theatres don't seem to be very price sensitive. Even a matinee rate is pretty steep nowadays.

Of course, one reason people are skipping the movies might be 15 BIGGEST BOX-OFFICE FLOPS OF 2011- Admit it - even Harrison Ford teaming up with Daniel Craig couldn't draw you in. Nor could Jack Black in a film with Steve Martin.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING NEW YEAR'S EVE - Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt have more than just acting in their repertoire - they sing too!

OUR CHRISTMAS ELVES TRADITION - Why Christmas was a little difficult this year.

10 MOST ANNOYING MANAGEMENT TERMS OF 2011- Via The Mister - YES, you should internalize the ideation within the stakeholder community and reach out with the results to them. Gaaaaaah, this is why I would fail in a real job job. I don't speak this clearly.

LEFTOVER CHRISTMAS FAIL - I love, love, love reading Failblog, and the holiday fails (and wins) abound, like THIS HEARTWARMING FAMILY MESSAGE or THIS SENTIMENTAL CHRISTMAS STORY. But for every one of those, there's THIS KIND OF WIN that makes up for it all. But wait! There's more!

PARENTING FAIL - nothing makes me feel more successful as a parent than seeing something like this, and realizing that my daughters won't have this to add to their therapy list.

SNOWED-IN WIN - Power go out in your blizzard? At least your adult beverages will be taken care of in style with a little bit of clever. But don't let the kitties get into your booze, or THIS COULD HAPPEN.

For your New Year's resolutions, you might consider:

GRAMMAR MATTERS - Learn it, please, for mankind's sake.

GET ORGANIZED - Well, this is one way to do it, but you'll never find anything ever again.

LOSE WEIGHT - But maybe steer clear of these products.

But there's political holiday news as well...

CHRISTMAS DAY MASSACRE WAS AN HONOR KILLING? - Apparently that little nugget hasn't made much of a stir in the news.

TSA TO EXPAND AUTHORITY TO TRAIN STATIONS - Via Pat Dollard, your friendly TSA ~~Groper~~ Agent is now going to be hanging out in train stations as well! Happy travelling!

BLACK VOTERS MUST BE ABLE TO KNOW WHICH CANDIDATES ARE DEMOCRATS - Also via Pat Dollard, who really ought to be on your "Read Every Day' list, a Federal judge has ruled that North Carolina's nonpartisan races are a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1965. Could we live in more insane times?

BROADBAND IS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT - Apparently, no, we cannot live in more insane times.

JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD HEARD THE LAST OF WEINER - Former congressman Anthony Weiner and his scandals just never go away.

ART LAFFER ENDORSES NEWT - I'm not too surprised by this - Laffer was one of the economists working for Reagan in the 80s. His endorsement is worth at least a listen.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY BILLS MAY NOT WORK AS INTENDED - First, when did ANYTHING Congress passed work as intended? Secondly, I had a nearly three hour conversation with an Occupy leader recently, and one "aha moment" he seemed to have in our discussion was the lack of "next step" thinking in politics. When we're in "crisis mode" long-term thinking goes out the window, and we lurch from one quick fix to another. The Russell Kirk definition of conservatism includes that one needs to examine possible consequences. We just don't do that anymore.

CONGRESS GETS RICHER - Via Joe Pags, who's surprised here? Damned crooks.

BARNEY FRANK RETIRES, WITH 7 BONUS DEMS! - Via Sean Murphy, at least 8 Democrat veteran congressvarmints are retiring ahead of the 2012 election. Hmmmmm...

OCCUPY TICKS OFF IOWA DEMOCRATS - Go figure. The 99% meme doesn't seem to be playing so well anymore.

RICH ARE UNRELIABLE TAXPAYERS - And not just because they seek out tax shelters. Turns out the rich have more volatile income, AND their income is more portable. So yeah, let's base funding massive entitlement projects on autopilot using just the wealthiest 1%. That sounds like a winning strategy.

This week in PEOPLE I ADORE, I want to highlight JENNY ERIKSON AND ASHLEY SEWELL who host TOP 7 every week, with the top 7 news stories just in time for the Friday office parties and family get-togethers. Their motto is "You can get your think on, before you get your drink on." How could you not love that? Catch Jenny and Ashley on Twitter too. You won't find better, funnier, smarter, or lovelier babes in the conservative movement.

And on the READING LIST this week, I'm working through the Zombie Survival Guide. Because, you just never know.

So that's it for this week, and I'll see you next week with another batch of fun, fail, and frivolity!

Christmas Elves

2011-12-26T14:56:00.001-06:00

My earliest Christmas memories are of Santa's elves. Each year, these four-inch-high figurines would appear sometime after Thanksgiving, in various places around the house. Our first real sign that Christmas was near would be the initial appearance of the first elf, and the admonition from Mom and Dad that the elves had come from the North Pole to record our behavior for Santa. We were never to touch the elves, or they'd leave and report us for bad behavior; and we were always to remember that Santa, via these elves, was watching. Each day after the first elf appeared, additional ones would show up until there were five or six deputized to monitor us.

Every night, as we slept, the elves changed position. One would hide in the refrigerator, to make sure we didn't sneak mouthfuls of spray whipped cream that was supposed to be for the pies. One might sit in the bathroom, making sure we cleaned the counters after washing our hands, or making sure we brushed our teeth before bed. Another might nestle in a wall hanging in the den, checking that we didn't fight over the television channels or forget to pick up our messes after playing. Yet another might sit in the hall and listen to us play with each other or our friends, making sure we remembered our manners. Still another might sit on a bedroom bookshelf, to see whether we stayed up too late past bedtime, or forgot to pick up our clothes.

And each morning, we'd race around the house to find out where the elves had moved, what new posts they'd assumed. And on Christmas day, not a trace of the elves would be found, all having decamped and returned to the North Pole with Santa.

The elves were the most magical part of Christmas for us. We knew Santa took a personal interest in us and our doings, and that he really did care whether we were naughty or nice. The elves reminded us, at least during the Christmas season, that our good behavior was important, and that temptation could be resisted if we were thoughtful.

When we got older and the grandchildren came, it was a joy to see the elves resume their appearances, albeit with a force reduced by one, and with considerable battle-scars from many years of service. Each grandchild would hunt for elves when visiting Nan and Pop's house, and the elves always found the most interesting places to hide: within the Christmas tree branches, in the light fixtures, in the manger scene.

After forty-something years of elves monitoring the house and only leaving upon Santa's visit, we found all the elves in attendance still on Christmas morning this year. Had they gotten lazy? Did they believe there was impending bad behavior among the grandchildren for which they needed to be on the scene? Did they miss their ride? Decide to take a later sleigh?

Any of these things could be true, but my own theory is that with this year being our first Christmas without Poppy, the elves stayed to remind us of him, and to comfort us in those moments when we missed him most.

Merry Christmas, Poppy; I miss you. It wasn't the same without you, but we did our best.

Friday Favorites #11

2011-12-22T01:02:00.001-06:00

OK, OK, I know. I said "Trust me" at the end of my last post. I promised to have a huge quantity of goodies to suck your entire weekend away. I lied. I failed. Not one week, but twice. I'm covered in shame and chocolate and peanut butter. I spent almost two weeks working on filling nineteen tins of chocolate goodness for the family (and also for a few people who would have murdered me and hidden the body too well to ever be found if I hadn't included them) for the holiday season. That's my only excuse. Well, that, and doing show prep for a guest hosting spot on the radio, working on my nascent business, trying to shop for Christmas, working on the Saddle Up Texas Straw Poll and about eleventy other things. Clone me. Please.

So let's jump right in to the links you're begging for:

Speaking of the straw poll, did you know the Saddle Up Texas Straw Poll has a THEME SONG? Karl Brunig and his awesome band have recorded one, and you can DOWNLOAD IT ON iTUNES! Check out his other music too, and support local artists like Karl and all his generous friends who helped make this possible. Hit him up on Facebook, too, and thank him for his hard work!

DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES GO VIRAL - @Snarky_Basterd alerted me to this story, which is a little ridiculous actually, because there's LIVE FROM DARYL'S HOUSE which has been out for years, and which you knew about already if you've read this blog with any regularity.

INTERNET MEME MARRIAGE PROPOSAL - This has to be one of the cutest things I've seen in a while - a bashful guy in Kuala Lampur proposing to his honey in the internet age. You won't be sorry you watched it, even if you're an old fogey who doesn't get internet memes, or even know what they are. Though that does make it funnier.

WORST CHRISTMAS GIFTS EVER - Oh, admit it, you all have received one that has made it into your family stories. ESQUIRE has even more of them. Now you can compare your horror stories with other people's and feel better. Or worse. Or something.

BEST CHRISTMAS FEUD EVER - A true, heartwarming story about a twenty-five year "feud" over creative gift-giving.

ROMNEY HOLIDAY GIFT TAGS - to put on those Worst Christmas Gifts you plan to give this year, I guess.

MEDIA BIAS 101 - Gingrich tells a gay man in a conversation that he really ought to just vote for Obama,... or DID HE? Via Larry O'Connor.

HAWAII 5-0 CREW DISSES VETERANS ON PEARL HARBOR DAY - Just read it. If your eyes are still in their sockets, you aren't angry enough.

SAVE US CHUCK WOOLERY - I am officially in love with the former Love Connection host for THIS, and for THIS, and ESPECIALLY THIS.

THE NEWEST CHRISTMAS CLASSIC - Remy at Reason TV has recorded an instant classic with "Grandma Got Indefinitely Detained" for the holiday season. Enjoy, and spread it around and share the Very TSA Christmas!

MICKEY MOUSE WANTS TO RECALL GOVERNOR WALKER - The poor, embattled Wisconsin governor is not only under fire from unions, but apparently Mickey Mouse and Adolph Hitler want him gone too.

50 ECONOMIC NUMBERS YOU WON'T BELIEVE - I don't believe some of them either, and I'll be looking into them further, but really, even if half are true, shouldn't we be seeing some of this in political campaigns pretty soon?

POLITIFACT'S LIE OF THE YEAR FOR 2011 - You have to check this out. Then start asking why the conservative side usually sucks at messaging. Because even though it's a PANTS ON FIRE type of lie, IT WORKS.

BECK CALLS TEA PARTY RACIST - It went down like this - Glenn was talking to Judge Napolitano, and he... well, watch the video.

BREITBART CALLS BECK OUT - Andrew Breitbart isn't standing for Beck's outrageous claim about tea party and racism. And he's got a whole lot of anger about Beck's poaching. Remember ATTACK WATCH? Beck totally ripped it off, without credit. That's just the tip of the iceberg.

POACHERMAN - Gary Eaton's response to Beck- you gotta hear it!

UNICEF BASHES SANTA - Speaking of Breitbart, look what the crack team at Breitbart TV uncovered. I bet you didn't know Santa was a freaking One Percenter.

GALLUP: REPUBLICANS GAIN GROUND IN SWING STATES - Don't get cocky, but there are some interesting stats. The election is still eleven months away. Again, don't get cocky.

DEMOCRATS LOSING VOTERS - Again, use this as momentum to work harder. DON'T GET COCKY... Because...

HOUSE CAVES ON PAYROLL TAX CUT - You knew they would. I always feel like Charlie Brown with Lucy and that Damned football.

UNEMPLOYMENT RATES FOR METRO AREAS - Find yours, compare with your friends!

MORE BAD NEWS FOR DEMOCRATS - Don't make me say it again, because ...

NAACP WARNS OF VOTER ID LAWS = VOTER SUPPRESSION - And people, that sells. And it makes people angry and ready to fight. And it makes them less likely to care about the truth. We have got to have an answer to this that hits home. Not just confronting it, but turning those communities into supporters for Voter ID.

SMALLER GOVERNMENT = RACISM - I called this months ago. I KNEW it would happen as soon as the Bigger Government Advocates figured out the fact that the government worker population has a higher percentage of minorities in employment than the general population.

HOMELAND SECURITY SNOW CONES - I'm not kidding. If they were using them to raise money for Homeland Security, maybe I could see this. I mean, didn't we have all those bake sales in the '90s? Am I the only one who remembers those?

This week in PEOPLE I ADORE, I bring you THE SMALL "g" GAY - Small g hosts a Blogtalk Radio show a couple of times a week, and he and his guests bring some of the best political commentary out there on the presidential horse race. You can also follow him on Twitter, which I highly recommend. Small g is nothing like what you'd think; a "homocon" who's not happy with the Gay Lobby pushing the Gay Agenda. Open your mind and listen to a show or two - you'll be glad you did.

And on the READING LIST this week, I just finished HARD TIMES by Dickens and picked up DELIVER US FROM EVIL by David Baldacci. Baldacci is the guy who wrote the book that led to the Clint Eastwood movie "Absolute Power" and has a large collection of really good whiplash-inducing action novels. This one is about rounding up war criminals - not for the faint of heart.

So with all of that said, let me leave you with a few of my Christmas Favorites to reward you for slogging through all the crappy news above:

CHARLIE BROWN - MEANING OF CHRISTMAS

CHARLIE BROWN - CHRISTMAS TIME IS HERE

OH SANTA! - Veggie Tales

MUST HAVE BEEN OLD SANTA CLAUS - Harry Connick Jr.

O COME, O COME, EMMANUEL - Barlow Girl

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Year; and may all of the things you might celebrate be filled with joy, fun, love, peace, and chocolate. Unless you're allergic or something. In which case, you're on your own.

Friday Favorites #10

2011-12-02T08:25:00.001-06:00

Hello, hello, hello, Friday Friends! It's already December - how did THAT happen? Ah, well, that means 22 shopping days until Christmas, so better get busy!

THINK GEEK - If you haven't browsed through their site, do it! Gifts for the geek in your life. And make sure to get on the catalog list. Where else can you find THIS? Or THIS?

MASSIVE WATER BALLOON BURST - This is cool in slow motion. My sister found it and said "You never need be bored."

HOW TO GREET PEOPLE - I just discovered this You Tube channel by Ev. Ev's hilarious. And a little naughty. But where else will you find out How to Survive a Nuclear Blast or How to Cross the Street?

MALL SANTA MUSICAL - Yeah, this. Merry Christmas!

ACTUAL COLLEGE COURSES THAT WILL MAKE YOU #HEADDESK - So THIS is what all those student loans are funding! Glad we got that straight.

KIDS + FLOUR = FUN! - Until Mom catches them.

PEANUT BUTTER PRETZEL BALLS - Yeah, I'm making these next week. If they're good, I'll put them in the goodie tins for the family. If they're great, I'll be recovering at Fat Camp.

MINI MAC & CHEESE MUFFINS - Oh my stars, I can't wait to try this. See you after Fat Camp. Seriously.

STEVEN CROWDER ON FALLON & MILEY CYRUS - Steven talks about engaging in the culture war. Guess where he wants the troops to come from - your kids. And you know, I think he's right.

UNEMPLOYMENT DOWN - Or is it? I don't trust ANY change that large without really digging into the numbers.

SOMEBODY NEEDS TO PAY FOR ALL MY CHILDREN - If you missed this, I want the address of the rock you live under. This is unreal. Spread it far and wide, people.

ADAM CAROLLA GOES OFF ON OCCUPY - LANGUAGE ALERT!! But well worth a listen.

TEA PARTY V. OCCUPY - Now in Video format with Bill Whittle!

CAN THE SEC PROSECUTE CONGRESSIONAL INSIDER TRADING? - Senator Lieberman thinks so.

This week's READING LIST includes WORLD WAR Z, which I found fascinating. Pretend there's a worldwide infestation of zombies. Then pretend there's a government official collecting personal stories about the survivors. That's pretty much it. But it's written so interestingly, I couldn't put it down. Apparently it will be a MOVIE next year as well.

That's all I got - it's too late to add more, but believe me, next week I'll have enough time-sucking material to steal your whole weekend. Trust me.

Friday Favorites #9

2011-11-25T14:12:00.001-06:00

Happy Black Friday! Or something. Did you have a great Thanksgiving? Did you brave those crowds in search of great deals? I can tell you, I think I'm about over Black Fridays forever. It just never works out for me. I'm sure it's my lack of a system, or a particular deficiency in my genetic makeup or whatever. But I'm glad I missed this:

PEPPER SPRAY AT WAL-MART BLACK FRIDAY - Yeah, so this happened. People are crazy. In other news, water is wet.

BLACK FRIDAY RAP SHEET - CBS News has quite an impressive list of consumer insanity.

OCCUPY BLACK FRIDAY FIZZLES - But you knew it would, didn't you? Seriously, it is becoming more and more obvious that the Occupiers aren't the sharpest tools in the shed.

OK, enough Black Friday mess. You have more important things to think about. Like:

WELCOME HOME FROM THE POOCHES - This actually had me laughing and crying at the same time.

CHERRY COKE FLOAT CUPCAKES - What is a Friday Favorites without amazing food?

AMAZING PHYSICAL ABILITY - This guy has kinetic talent like you won't believe. Just watch.

CHUCK NORRIS - WORLD OF WARCRAFT - All I have to say about this is "AHAHAAHAAHAHA!"

HOW THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE WAS DEVELOPED - An interesting video that explains in about ten minutes how our jacked-up, beautiful language actually picked up so much from elsewhere.

NEWS 92 FM DEBUTS IN HOUSTON - This week the long-awaited return of Houston radio news icons Lana Hughes and JP Pritchard finally occurred on their new station, along with many other familiar names, such as Brent Clanton and Mike Barajas. You can hear their first hour ever from Monday here.

COMPARING SNL SKITS - An interesting read about the presidential candidates treatment at the hands of the SNL writers

And now, in Corruption Watch this week:

BAD BUDGETING IN MICHIGAN - Although that isn't all that's wrong with this Wayne County executive, it's where you start. This guy is unbelievable. What they did to Meals on Wheels should be criminal.

SEIU TAKING UNION DUES FROM MEDICAID - Stop whatever you're doing on click on this story now. I'll wait. OK, you back? Did that just piss you off? It should. While we're seeing a lot of arguing over bait issues on the conservative side, this stuff quietly happens, and we aren't watching.

OCCUPY COSTING CITIES OVER $20 MILLION - Gateway Pundit has the breakdown. I'd like to see how much Tea Parties cost the cities. Oh, wait, we paid our own way...

SUPERCOMMITTEE FAILS TO REACH AGREEMENT - In other news, the sky is blue.

TEXAS REDISTRICTING MAPS - Texas gets the shaft - AGAIN - from the Civil Rights Act. Even when you win, you lose.

MORE ON SOPA - STOP ONLINE PIRACY ACT - The main thing you need to know about any legislation from Washington DC is that whatever the name of the act is, it will do nothing that you think it will, and have a ton of "unintended" consequences that are all bad.

THE LITTLE RED HEN - My take on an old children's story, retold for the Age of Occupy

I almost forgot - SADDLE UP TEXAS VIP TICKETS - The VIP Dinner tickets (sold separately from admission tickets) are on sale now! Buy the admission tickets here - they're going up in price in a few days!

And finally, in this week's PEOPLE I ADORE, meet JOHN NOLTE - Editor-in-Chief of BIG HOLLYWOOD. He watches all the dreck in Hollywood so we don't have to. And he cheerfully takes on the Left whenever he can, and mocks the media for their skewed coverage. You need to keep up with Nolte. Follow him on Twitter too.

And on this week's READING LIST, I'm working my way through THE END OF PROSPERITY from Arthur Laffer, Stephen Moore and Peter Tanous. Written right before the 2008 election, it's uncanny how much of the subsequent events they predicted. So much smart in one book is bound to be an education. Heed the warnings, people; these guys know what they're about.

So that's what's up this week - remember tomorrow is Small Business Saturday, and Monday brings on Cyber Monday, so today isn't the end-all of shopping. Hang out with the family instead!

Friday Favorites #8

2011-11-18T09:25:00.001-06:00

Hello, my pretties! What a week it's been! This post may have to hold you over a couple of weeks, in case my planned Turkey Coma extends into next Friday. So let's hop into the yummy goodness with:

ALTON BROWN'S TURKEY (BAKED) - Yeah, cinnamon? Really?

BLACKENED TURKEY - Do this if you have no life and like to impress people with how much time it took you to do this.

PAULA DEEN'S DEEP-FRIED TURKEY - Well, I'd watch Alton Brown's SAFER method before ever trying this. Somehow it's more fun for me to watch people do this than actually do it myself.

And when you're looking for things to do with turkey leftovers:

PIONEER WOMAN'S TURKEY TETRAZZINI - Warning, food porn alert!

TASTE OF HOME'S TOP TEN - There's bound to be something here that won't be difficult to fix. The problem with most leftover recipes is they take almost as much work as the original turkey, or they're too simple to be anything but leftovers that taste like Thanksgiving dinner.

BEST 50 THANKSGIVING SIDES - in case you were looking for something new to try. I tell you, my mom's buttery sliced potatoes and corn pudding never seem to make it to the table at the holidays; I'll have to change that.

And for dessert...

THAT PIE ON THE COVER OF PARADE MAGAZINE - You know it looked so pretty. You didn't know it was this easy!

CHOCOLATE HOT MESS - OK, it's really called Chocolate Mess Cake, but since it's made in the crockpot, I like my name for it better. Set it and forget it until it's time to eat.

AWKWARD HOLIDAY PHOTOS - No comment. You haven't see mine.

"SODA" V. "POP" MAP - This is stranger, and probably more defined, than the Mason-Dixon line.

AWESOME STREET ART - You can hardly believe some of these.

OK, time to check in with OCCUPY!!!

OCCUPY MOM GETS ARRESTED - Remember that FL mom who abandoned her family to go to Occupy Wall Street? Yes.

OCCUPY SOME TRUTH - The Army You Have's great song in response to OCCUPY

QUESTIONS YOU DON'T HAVE TO ASK TEA PARTY - Watch this, and ponder the mysteries of the movements.

BEN SHAPIRO WALKS THROUGH OCCUPY LA - The photo essay says a lot about the Occupiers, and not what they probably want said.

OCCUPY AIN'T NO TEA PARTY - There. I said it.

In other news:

ICYMI - 60 MINUTES ON CONGRESSIONAL INSIDER TRADING - Yeah. These are the people who write the laws. We're doomed.

BACKLASH AGAINST THE BOOMERS - Great analysis of what those hippies did to our country.

SOPA PRIMER - The next threat to internet freedom? Here's where to start looking for information on the Stop Online Piracy Act.

WHEN "I QUIT" WASN'T ENOUGH - Check out this statement from a commodities broker about why she is getting out of the business.

THINGS TO START HOARDING NOW - Angel suggests some things you probably didn't think of, whether preparing for bad weather, power outages or random zombie apocalypses. You never know.

Oh! I almost forgot!

PEOPLE I ADORE - This week I want to tell you about PAT DOLLARD - Pat writes for the BIG sites; Big Government, Big Peace, Big Hollywood. Pat also has a Twitter account which you should follow if you want to keep up with, oh, just about anything.

And this week's READING LIST features Charles Dickens' BLEAK HOUSE, which is excruciating only because I have to keep referring to the notes for terminology. Essentially, I'm almost halfway through, and the book is exploring how a whole bunch of unconnected people get caught up in this horribly twisted legal mess of a case. Yeah, seems kind of timely, actually.

On a very serious note, in our family this year, we've suffered the loss of both my father and father-in-law within four months. This will be our first Thanksgiving, Christmas etc without them. I just wanted to say, make your memories count. Whatever fuss you might have with someone, think about whether that is where you want to put your energy with your precious amount of time together. OK, have a Happy Thanksgiving, be sweet to each other and enjoy the holiday.

A Texas Straw Poll

2011-11-11T20:43:00.001-06:00

I remember in 2007 the Texas GOP held a straw poll in Fort Worth. I snagged an invite to it by virtue of participating in past convention cycles, and made the trip. But by some strange series of events I got there too late to participate and was locked out. This certainly didn't leave a good impression.

This year the Republican Party of Texas debated repeating the event, and decided against it. That's probably a good thing, too, because in 2007 the poll was restricted to "party insiders" like me, and not at all representative of Republican primary voters. That's a problem, because you know who won the Texas straw poll in 2007? Duncan Hunter. Yeah, I know, I feel the same way.

Texas always gets the shaft. Think about it - Texas doesn't get to vote until Super Tuesday on March 6. By that time, several of the candidates will have left the race and Texans will get to choose from the ~~leftovers~~ remaining candidates. What kind of choice does that really amount to?

Like I said, Iowa, New Hampshire and a host of other states vote in caucuses or primaries before Texas does, and some candidates will likely drop out if they think their results in those states can't keep campaign money coming in. By the first week of February 2008, for instance, Mitt Romney was already out of the race. Now, I won't make any of the obvious snarky comments about that, but really; each candidate that drops out early in the race means fewer choices for states not named Iowa and New Hampshire.

But what can we do?

The SADDLE UP TEXAS STRAW POLL is what.

Several groups have banded together to put on a Texas Straw Poll that is open to more than just the "insiders." The goal is not to steer people towards one candidate or another, or promote only the Texas candidates Perry and Paul, or to promote a "tea party" candidate; but to host a poll that more likely reflects the actual Republican primary voters.

The event is scheduled for January 12-14, just DAYS after the Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire primary. Candidates who might be short on cash after those races won't necessarily have to quit the race after those two states anymore. A good showing in a Texas straw poll could breathe new life into a campaign that has been demoralized by trying to court voters who live in a very small portion of the country.

In addition, for the first time, Texans could have a significant impact on the presidential race. Texans deserve this; what state has a stronger economy than Texas? What state has created more jobs? What state gained more electoral votes after the 2010 Census? Texas leads the nation in so many ways. Why shouldn't Texans be leading politically as well? Not necessarily Texas politicians, but Texas VOTERS?

Texans deserve a voice, and we want to help them have it.

There are no huge sponsors behind Saddle Up Texas. No Koch funding, no GOP mega-fundraisers, no massive checkbooks. It's just conservative folks looking to give Texans an opportunity they've never had - a chance to make a difference.

Join us - check out our WEBSITE, LIKE it on FACEBOOK, FOLLOW it on TWITTER, get your tickets (only $45 until Dec 10, which includes admission to all three days) spread the word and make your plans to help us make Texas history!

Friday Favorites #7

2011-11-11T13:03:00.001-06:00

Another week, another Friday, and admit it, a Friday on 11-11-11 and Veteran's Day just makes it even more special. So let's see what's happening this week in the interwebs:

FOXFIRE BOOKS - I know I obsess about zombies a lot, but really; in a zombie apocalypse, wouldn't you want to know how to do all the things you need to do to get food and shelter and generally stay alive? Or, say, if the economy goes in the tank, wouldn't you like to have skills to get along until some order returns? This is where you need to start. The Foxfire books were written as to document the lifestyle and skills of Appalachia, and almost everything in the books can be done today with a little study. Plus, it's just interesting, reading the stories of the old-timers. You never know when you'll need to know how to make moonshine, or dress a hog or something.

BLACK FRIDAY ADS - Whether or not I go insane and join the Black Friday mob really depends on two things: having money and getting past the turkey coma. Until then, I plan to check out the ads and see if there's anything worth staying up for, or saving up for. Anything look good to you?

THAT KID FROM JERRY McGUIRE - I care ZERO about celebrities, but these pictures of Jonathan Lipniki, now 21, just sucked me right in. Check him out - you probably won't believe it.

LANA & JP BACK ON THE AIR - Lana Hughes and JP Pritchard return to Houston's airwaves on a new all-news station, KROI 92.1 FM! This is wonderful news to all who listened to them for over 25 years in Houston and trusted them for all the news. I cannot tell you how glad I am that they're returning! I have missed them so!

I TOLD MY KIDS I ATE THEIR CANDY - Jimmy Kimmel is a sick, sick bastard, and the results are kinda funny.

CENTER FOR AMERICA - John Ratzenberger (Cliff Claven from Cheers) tries to help people get back to work. Check it out.

ANOTHER HERMAN CAIN ACCUSER - But this time, it's one who you'll want to support.

BAD LIP READING - This time they take on Michelle Bachmann. I swear, I don't know how they do this, but it's hilarious and I want more.

THE CAIN-GINGRICH DEBATE - CSPAN put it on their site, and you can see it (or rewatch it) here. Not a debate, from what I'm hearing, but a far cry from what passes for a debate these days.

Speaking of debates, RICK PERRY's LETTERMAN TOP TEN APPEARANCE - where Perry gives the Top Ten Excuses for his brain freeze in the debate this week. Hi-larious, and a good example of what our side has to learn to do to win in the mass culture.

And in Occupy news this week:

SHOOTINGS - Yeah, I remember how difficult it was to keep the body count down during tea parties, and dealing with all the drugs. Sigh.

BANK PROBLEMS - Evil, evil banks, will you please hold our money? We need it for bail for getting arrested while protesting you. Or something.

THE RAP SHEET - John Nolte is keeping track, so you don't have to.

WE ARE THE 1% - The best response yet to the OCCUPY phenomenon.

In this week's PEOPLE I ADORE, I want to feature one of the best Twitter follows you can have - KEVIN EDER. Kevin is prolific, engaging, clever, and isn't afraid to speak out on anything that's bugging him. He also boosts others frequently, sharing his influence to help people with a smaller reach. He's good people, and you can also catch him on Facebook.

And finally, the Reading List this week features another Terri Blackstock book DAWN'S LIGHT. This is a series about EMPs shutting down power all over the world, and now people cope. It focuses on a Christian family's journey through the most difficult challenges they've ever faced, but the leap of imagination needed to think about the situations detailed isn't a large one. I always come away with "What would I do in this scenario?" questions, and will be thinking about it for a long time after I finish it.

So there it is, your Friday goodness. Happy 11-11-11, Happy Veteran's Day, Happy November, and check out the Saddle Up Texas Straw Poll this week - tickets should be going on sale today!

Shocking Election Results

2011-11-09T01:22:00.001-06:00

Ehhh, not really. What, did you think things were actually CHANGING or something?

Silly you.

For the record, before the rant, unofficial election results found here:

City of Houston

Texas Ballot Propositions

If you know me at all, you know I've worked for years to educate voters on issues as well as on the elections process. I've developed and hosted dozens of training classes, given scores of speeches, written innumerable articles and blog pieces, answered tens of thousands of phone calls and e-mails, and submitted thousands more informative articles to my sphere of influence over Facebook and Twitter and other platforms.

I'm not your average bear.

What I am is passionate - passionate about helping people navigate the political system and understand how to change things where they are. It's what I've done for years, long before there was a tea party. I know most people aren't into politics the way I am, and that's okay - there's more to life than politics. But I've always believed that on some fundamental level, people get the government they deserve; and a disengaged electorate is certainly begging for an intrusive, bloated, out-of-control government.

Congratulations, people. You've still got it. Here are some facts to peruse. No casting of blame yet, just reporting the facts.

Only 13% of Houston's registered voters cast a ballot in the mayor's race
District C had the highest turnout, with over 18%
A 1% increase in turnout in most races would have been able to change the outcome of that race if focused on one candidate
Out of 18 city races, only 4 will go to a runoff
Statewide, no ballot proposition received even 5 1/2% of turnout

I lost a family member last week, and another earlier this year, each of whom had worn this country's uniform to defend our rights, each of whom had an abiding interest in politics and the success of this country. I can't believe their service receives this kind of turnout in the way of thanks. That isn't thanks; it's an upraised middle finger.

More later; I'm just too angry to be civil right now.

Friday Favorites #6

2011-11-04T08:55:00.000-05:00

Friday's back, is it? I hope you had enough with last week's installment to keep you busy. This is a week when I could use a good laugh, so let's jump right in, shall we?

ZOMBIE UNIVERSITY - If Halloween doesn't last long enough for you, and it takes too long between episodes of The Walking Dead, you can study your zombie theory here. Bonus: PUPPETS!

FATHER/BRIDE DANCE - You've seen all the boring ones; get a load of this clever bride and her fabulous father.

FORGOTTEN PUNCTUATION - My sister found this one. Grammarian that I am, I did not know these punctuation marks.

OPTICAL ILLUSION WATERFALL - This guy is waaaaaay clever. I'm still trying to figure out how this was done.

EDIBLE BOOKS - I'll have to spend more time perusing this site, because this? Totally rocks.

SPEAKING OF FOOD - More funny food pictures. Caution: some aren't exactly, um, clean.

STILL MORE FOOD - Hee! Google-eyed pickles, even.

AS SEEN ON TV - I admit it - I've always been a sucker for commercials. Infomercials just made it worse. At least now I can still see what the latest thing is without having to sit through crappy television shows anymore.

And the best news in OCCUPY WHATEVER this week:

THE JOB FAIR AT OCCUPY DC - This is hilarious, trust me. Accuracy In Media scores big with this one.

OCCUPY OAKLAND VANDALIZED WHOLE FOODS - Yeah, crunchy businesses? You're just praying the crocodile eats you last. Whole Foods at least was standing up against the Obamacare mess. Watch out, Men's Warehouse - this truce won't last.

PROTESTING LIKE EUROPE DOES - If the left wants us to become like Europe, at least the Occupy protesters are making an effort to lead.

OCCUPY IOWA CAUCUSES - I swear, anyone taking these people seriously as a movement for positive change needs to lose my number, and fast.

TEST YOUR POLITICAL IQ - 11/11 right here. What did you get?

In this week's PEOPLE I ADORE, well, it isn't really one person, it truly is PEOPLE. I bring you MISFIT POLITICS! They just launched their website this week, and it's full of goodness like THIS, and also THIS. I mentioned them for Friday Favorites #2, but now their website can start getting the attention it deserves!

And on the READING LIST this week, I'm reading Call of the Wild with the Little Critter. She's reading it for school, and I read everything that she does. It's still a good story.

See you next week, and in the meantime, be good. It's getting near the holiday time, and you know who else makes lists... I'm just sayin'.

Friday Favorites #5

2011-10-27T21:36:00.000-05:00

So another week goes by, another excuse to trot out a few of my favorite things. But I promise not to sing songs from "The Sound of Music," though I am fond of karaoke. I'll spare you this once. I'm cool like that.

It's almost Halloween, so let's hop right to it with:

NINJAS - a fun little prank. I would totally do this. One day, I'm going to orchestrate an epic flash mob.

SPEAKING OF FLASH MOBS - This one is one of my favorites. Japanese people do interesting things on television.

TALK ABOUT SCARY - Stars photographed without makeup! You'll never have one of those self-image problems again.

IF PUMPKINS ARE MORE YOUR THING - definitely check these carvings out. Art, I tell you.

REALLY BAD COSTUMES - Definitely Not Safe For Work. Or much else.

MUCH SAFER COSTUMES - Safe for anything, and sometimes adorable!

BEST AND WORST HALLOWEEN CANDY - Oh, snap, now I'm hungry.

MORE FOOD PORN - I love the idea of Bento Boxes. One day I'm going to learn how to do this amazing food creativity.

WHO NEEDS ANGRY BIRDS? - Before Androids came to live at my house, this is where I unwound. Bonus: great squish noises occasionally, and groans and squeals. Plus, a whole world where you can create your own challenges, or test others' creations.

OH, UNCLE JAY - One of my favorite You Tubers has had to put the camera down for a while to take care of his otherwise packed schedule. But you can still go back to his channel and watch the archives, which are invariably funny, until he picks it up again.

LIVING WITH AN ENGLISH MASTIFF - Three dogs, one mess. Find the culprit.

For your Occupy Whatever update this week, we have some very interesting tidbits:

"NEW RECRUITS" - Well, if you call Rikers' released convicts 'recruits'. Apparently these folks only like convicts while they're languishing in prison, not when they're camped out in the tent next to theirs.

THIS SIGN is probably the best of the written signs currently in vogue among members of the movement.

Pat Dollard has your OCCUPY STATISTIC OF THE DAY.

HOWARD STERN gets to the bottom of why the Occupy crowd is, well,... occupying.

And before my last political link, let me take a moment to institute a new policy. I am always caught off guard by gut-bustingly funny videos that make me laugh so hard that I snort my drink out my nose, or spew soda on my video monitor. I vow that I will give you fair warning when one of those will be posted, with a neat little tool called the Spray Factor. It'll be a ranking between 1-10, with 10 being a deluge of potential spray. I'll warn you so you'll have time to swallow your drink or finish that bite of cake before clicking. You can thank me later.

That said, check out BASEMENT BOY here. WARNING: Spray Factor of 8.

This week's installment of PEOPLE I ADORE stars JONAH GOLDBERG. Jonah has been writing for the National Review Online for quite a while and serves as editor-at-large, and slays me with his intelligence and sense of humor. He's also prolifically on Twitter, and has a newsletter I highly recommend signing up for.

And on the READING LIST this week is my long-awaited copy of Andrew Breitbart's RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION. This has been a fascinating read. Breitbart is obviously a genius at culture wars, strategy and current events, but I did not expect him to be such a compelling storyteller. I'm savoring this book the way I savor a great dinner; chewing it slowly, appreciating the flavor, and reluctant to see it come to an end.

So, sweeties, I hope your weekend is full of joy. Go tell someone special to you that you love them. Tell them for no reason. You'll be glad you did.

Friday Favorites #4

2011-10-21T01:38:00.000-05:00

Oh, hellllllooooooo darlings! Has a week already gone by? Friday is here again? Oh, well then, I'd better get right to it. You don't have a lot of time to waste if you're going to be ready for the weekend!

JERRY DOG - Technology for animals, it's coming.

WHITE TRASH REPAIRS - I totally get this. Admit it, you do too. Because you never know when you'll have to inform people bout THIS, or figure out how to make one of THESE. Which, if I skipped a few recycle pickup days, I could. But watch out for THIS when you're hanging with the guys. Sneaky, sneaky rednecks.

THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING - but is that a smart place to put it?

LIVE FROM DARYL'S HOUSE - I am completely smitten by the idea of this. Daryl Hall (of Hall & Oates) created his own very successful webshow. He invites other musicians, old friends and new acquaintances, and they have jam sessions in Daryl's house in New York. I discovered some new artists like CHROMEO and DIANNE BIRCH (but watch it on LFDH for the best version) and ELI "PAPERBOY" REED. There are some old Hall & Oates songs redone as well for some new creations. Don't miss this.

FAILBOOK - Many of us have a Facebook fixation, but this is why you need to hang out at Failbook too. Think of it as a What Not To Do. Because you never know when Occupy Wall Street counseling might be needed, or say, presidential trivia assistance.

KEYNES V. HAYEK ROUND 2 - Austrian economics has never been so easily explained. Or catchy. Or clever. Or stuck-in-your-head, hip-hop good.

OCCUPY WALL STREET UPDATE - What if OWS signs were actually letters to advice columns? Lori Ziganto is freaking brilliant. That is all.

And while we're on the subject, can we dispense with the inaccurate Venn Diagram about the difference between OWS and Tea Party? THIS is much better at explaining it.

This week in PEOPLE I ADORE, DAVID JENNINGS of Big Jolly Politics. DJ has been tracking politics in Texas for a few years now, and always has a take that makes you stop and think. He's on Twitter and Facebook too, so he's easy to find.

And on the READING LIST this week, Mark Steyn's AFTER AMERICA. This has given me so much food for thought, so much insomnia, and so much heartburn. Schools spend hours and hours teaching our kids to search for patterns, but we often fail to do it ourselves. I can't read this in large doses, either, or I'll quickly be looking for survivalist training.

But chin up, folks, the weekend is here, bringing more baseball, more Walking Dead, and my own appearance on The Civil Right streaming on KNTH at 1 pm Central on Saturday. Ought to be fun!

After America by Mark Steyn

2011-10-18T14:21:00.003-05:00

This will be on my Reading List on this week's Friday Favorites, but I have to take a moment here and underline it.

Read this book.

Mark Steyn wrote a hide-under-your-bed scary book called America Alone about the hard truths of demographic trends around the world. This one is buy-the-bunker scary.

But you should read it anyway. I'm not any kind of a math whiz, but I can do the addition. And the multiplication. We already have full-scale models around the world for EXACTLY what Obama and the Democrats and Occupy Everywhere and the like want to do to the United States.

We have the luxury of seeing it happen in Europe first, and recognizing that those conditions are alien to Americans. For now. We also have the opportunity to make the next year about educating people that they've signed up to cast their future into the fire on the hope that they might get some goodies for themselves or their constituents today.

Who will they blame when their math doesn't work? They've already started blaming Wall Street. You're next, because you have stuff. Eventually, anyone with stuff will be made to give up their stuff. Either they'll tax you to death or they'll just come take it.

When a movement can occupy public spaces and claim "ownership" of the people (but apparently only the people who agree with them) then what will the police do when they decide to occupy YOUR space? If the authorities won't shut them down for failing to follow the rules in public places, will they bother to come to your aid?

Read the book. Get angry all over again, then DO SOMETHING. There are elections in less than a month, and you should care. Because no matter what's going on at the federal level, it's the guys who make the rules where you live that can have the most impact right now on what your life will be like over the next few years.

Friday Favorites #3

2011-10-14T00:16:00.000-05:00

Back again, I see. Good to see you! How's the family? Did that thing you were doing work out? And what about that stuff, did you decide what to do with it?

OK, enough chit chat, you can get that anywhere. It's Friday again, and back to Friday Favorites!

FREE STUFF - In honor of Occupy Whatever, I'm ripping a page out of The Bigun's book (that's my eldest daughter) to bring you her recent find - an article with links to freebies - free chocolate, free food, free books - and all without raising taxes or spreading wealth around. If OWS had good coupon skills and hadn't spent more than the price of a house to get a Masters degree in __________ Studies, maybe we wouldn't see their half-naked bodies crapping on police cars or flags.

RANDALL - By now you've heard the words "honey badger" until you're sick of it. But did you remember where that started? Randall does voice-overs of nature videos - his way. His You Tube channel always has something fun, but get this! Randall recorded a commercial for Wonderful Pistachios and now has swag!

THIS IS PHOTOBOMB - Don't know what a photobomb is? Try this. And this.

WHITE WHINE - If you're tired of hearing about famine, war, disease and other problems of the Third World (because it's so, you know, boring) you can take a look at REAL problems of REAL people in the FIRST WORLD!

GUILTY PLEASURE - I have a thing for the '70s. Chicago + Earth, Wind & Fire = AWESOME. This many guys on stage making music HAS to be good. Nobody does music like this anymore; they're too busy being cool to have trombone solos.

GUILTY PLEASURE 2 - OK, I also have a thing for the '80s. Hardly anyone remembers this band unless they saw the movie Vision Quest, but I played this record until I killed it. This was before I knew they were raging socialists, but then I didn't care when they created such interesting melodies and love songs. Besides, Brit Pop got a bad name, and these guys sort of redeem it.

STEVE JOBS REWIRED OUR BRAINS - Oh yes, he did.

SADDLE UP TEXAS STRAW POLL - Everyone knows Texas is doing better than any other state economically, but by the time Texas votes in presidential primaries, the game's usually all over. Some of us are working to change that by hosting our own straw poll in Houston before too many states have decided and candidates start dropping out. Check it out, spread it around, and help Texas have a voice in the presidential candidates at last!

OCCUPY WALL STREET UPDATE - You can watch the crazy live at that link. You've likely been hearing about the demonstrations across the country against Wall Street, but you should see this. THIS VIDEO from National Review Online really gets to the heart of the protesters' demands. And here's your handy guide to hand signals. You're welcome, and I'm sure you have a few of your own.

PEOPLE I ADORE - In the Unsung Heroes Department, you should get to know Jimmie Bise Jr. He blogs on his own site and writes for others as well. PLUS, he has his own podcasts, so you can check him out on the run. Jimmie is one of my favorite people on Twitter, and I would bottle him up and sell him if I could!

And this week's READING LIST includes a book by presidential contender Newt Gingrich - Real Change. I'm working my way through all the books of the candidates, but I'm taking my time with this one. Newt's rising in the polls this week, and four years ago at this time, Rudy Giuliani was the GOP frontrunner. Just sayin'.

So I hope you enjoy the goodies this week! It's so nice taking a break from all the other stuff I do other places, coming back here and just being me. All of me. All eight of me, if you count the multiple personality thing. (Oh, snap, did I say that out loud?)

Friday Favorites #2

2011-10-07T00:10:00.002-05:00

Well, hello, friends! Back for more political analysis and insightful viewpoints? I didn't think so. I might try to sneak something like that in once in a while, you know, the way your mom put shredded zucchini in your spaghetti so you'd eat your veggies.

So this week, we're jumping right in with:

ZOMBIES!!! - One of my favorite You Tube Videos, it'll get stuck in your head. Watch it anyway. It's one of a series by Jonathan Coulton called "Thing of the Week" where he tasked himself to churn out something interesting and creative each week. Win.

RETURN OF THE ZOMBIES!!! - I remember CRACKED magazine as a kid, but what they do online is off the charts. These zombie articles about How a Zombie Apocalypse Could Actually Happen and Reasons a Zombie Outbreak Would Fail Quickly just fuel my zombie obsession. Gotta do something until Walking Dead returns.

Back to You Tube, you'll want to go watch some things on the SMARTER EVERY DAY channel. Destin puts together videos that are probably best described as Mythbusters in your backyard. He's explored things like microwaves, Dragon's Breath ammo, and chicken heads.

And if you like that, you won't want to miss ROCKET CITY REDNECKS, new to National Geographic Channel. More backyard rocket scientists, more explosions, more geek cool.

One last You Tube video, at least for this week, OKGO AND FRIENDS - "WHITE KNUCKLES". An incredible one-shot video with the band and some furry friends. OKGO always has great videos (these are the treadmill guys) and play around with concepts from Rube Goldberg machines to muppets. They almost always make a "behind the scenes" video with each one, and you'll want to watch the White Knuckles one. Trust me on this. Oh, and they have some great music too.

MY FOOD LOOKS FUNNY - I have a thing for food pictures. I'm all about Tweet What You Eat, but this site takes the cake. Literally. I especially like this pizza sign, because clever! But be careful; this site leads to a lot of other time-sucking sites we'll visit later. You've been warned.

NANOWRIMO - November is National Novel Writer's Month, and NANOWRIMO encourages writers to work on (and try to complete 50,000 words of) a novel in a month. If you've ever thought about writing a novel, now's the time and this is the place. Or you can just go read what diligent, hard-working committed people do, then go eat a snack.

It wouldn't be a blog I had anything to do with if there wasn't SOME political stuff going on in it. so...

CHICKS ON THE RIGHT - I'm enchanted with Daisy and Mockarena's take on the issues of the day. Plus they're funny and gorgeous, so even if you're not particularly political, go anyway! They make it easy to follow the news and not do a head desk. Or, if you do, you can recover with their pictures.

ONE NATION UNDER GOD - A BOOK FOR LITTLE PATRIOTS - Amelia Hamilton has written a sweet little book to introduce the love of our country to children. It's just precious, and if you know some little critters who could use a little foundation in America, order a few and support a conservative author. Christmas is coming, so knock a few items off your list with this book.

MISFIT POLITICS - The genius outfit that brought you ATTACK WAAAAATCH is on Facebook, and getting their website ready. Keep an eye on these guys; Glenn Beck steals from THEM. More on them later, too.

BIG GOVERNMENT ON SOLYNDRA - If you aren't following the Solyndra scandal, you'd best get caught up. Larry O'Connor has been hammering on this with his series there. Check it out. This is serious stuff.

This week in PEOPLE I ADORE, you really, REALLY need to get to know Smart Girl Michelle Lancaster. Check out her blog at The Jersey Texan to keep up with everything from local doings to national politics. And you can follow her on Twitter as well, which you will not regret, ever. In fact, you'll pay me a finder's fee. I take Pay Pal. And chocolate.

And the READING LIST this week - I've been reading Terri Blackstock's Cape Refuge series while I wait for Breitbart's Righteous Indignation to get here. And I just picked up Janet Evanovich's SIZZLING SIXTEEN. The movie based on her first Stephanie Plum book, ONE FOR THE MONEY, is coming out soon, so start there and get caught up.

Enjoy, people! Love ya, mean it!

Friday Favorites #1

2011-09-30T09:18:00.000-05:00

Oh, hello there! I know, I know, I haven't blogged in forever. But I've been, well, a little busy. But enough about me; how have YOU been?

Seriously, though, I decided to start a new feature for Facebook, called Friday Favorites. It'll be a collection of online (and possibly offline) places I love, people I enjoy, and stuff I find funny, informative, shocking, interesting or otherwise worthy of mention.

It'll probably tell you more about me than I really intend to share, but hopefully it'll also give you, my friends, something to look at every week that you haven't seen before.

And with that, I bring you:

BAD LIP READING - A You Tube channel dedicated to, um, analyzing speeches and such. I'm not going to spoil it for you. You have to go there. Watch this one first, and for the love of all that is holy, DO NOT DRINK ANYTHING WHILE WATCHING. You're welcome.

DAMN YOU AUTO CORRECT - By now, you've probably either heard of this site or contributed to it. Based on hilarious mistakes in autocorrect features of text and messaging software, the exchanges are sometimes Not Safe For Work, but always head-smackingly hilarious.

THE PIONEER WOMAN - I've been reading this blog for several years on and off, and the author Ree just keeps making it more interesting. The love story of her marriage is very compelling; she's such a good storyteller that she had to put it all into a book, which I also recommend. The great thing about her is how many interests she details in her blog. There's something for nearly everyone - homeschooling, photography, cooking. Oh, and cooking? What she does with photography and cooking combined qualifies as food porn.

U.S. DAILY REVIEW - This new site has a diverse group of contributors (myself included) offering news and opinion. I include it not only to promote other places I'm writing (though you should check out my social media series there) but because I know some of the authors and they do tremendous work. You might make this one a daily stop, like the title says.

THE STAGE RIGHT SHOW - Night owls should join me for this USTREAM/Breitbart TV show hosted by Larry O'Connor and Meredith Dake. Larry is the editor at Breitbart TV and Meredith is now an associate editor at the "BIG" sites as well, and they take on the mainstream media, culture wars, politics, news of the day and Al Sharpton. If you join us, which you can do at 11 pm Central, you should jump into the Hollywood Chat Pack chatroom, and join the discussion there while watching. It cranks the whole experience up to 11.

GENGHIS GRILL - OK, this one is probably the one where you're going to say "Oh, Fish, where have you BEEN?" but I was just introduced to this franchise and I'm in love. Walk in, get a bowl, fill it with raw food, pick a sauce, give it to a man, he cooks it, and it's delivered to your table. Simplicity. And Deliciousity. If you are near one and haven't tried it, DO IT. I'll wait.

IF COMPUTER PROBLEMS WERE REAL - Just watch.

PEOPLE I ADORE - Every week I want to say thank you to someone for being so awesome. This week it's Lee Doren. If you watched the Fox/Google GOP debate last week, you saw him ask this. He's also responsible for some great work on his You Tube channel How The World Works, and he's recently written an e-book exposing liberal bias in higher education. Lee is funny, whip-smart, and breaks complex things down for folks like me.

And finally THE READING LIST - what I'm reading this week. Right now it's two fiction books by Perri O'Shaughnessy - Keeper of the Keys and Dreams of the Dead. Two sisters write the books under that pen name, and their mysteries are always engaging and hard to put down. The latter book is part of their Nina Reilly series, so start at the beginning with Motion to Suppress if you want to follow along.

That's it for this Friday - Now I'll be accountable for a weekly feature, so feedback is appreciated. It helps to know someone actually read this stuff, and found something new to enjoy. Love ya, mean it!

The Crunchy Crusade

2010-10-03T18:52:00.001-05:00

I've combed the internet for pictures of the One Nation rally, the event billed as hundreds of organizations working together "to demand the changes we voted for."

This one seems the typical, though there are some great ones HERE and HERE and HERE, and don't miss this comparison with the 8/28 rally HERE and HERE.

Today on Twitter, the blogosphere and elsewhere, the story is going out that One Nation dwarfed the Beck rally. As if. Even C-SPAN had to "borrow" photos from the Beck rally to cover the One Nation rally, seen HERE.

But the numbers aren't the important thing. Look at the picture again. Look long and hard. Think about what the trashing of the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and the sacred ground of the WWII Memorial says about those who infested Washington D.C. this weekend.

Of course they're proud socialists. But even that isn't the main thing. The main thing is whether one's actions match one's words.

Here you have a group of groups, in essence, that form the coalition that supported President Obama's election in 2008. Nothing inherently wrong with that. BUT the different constituencies that made for an electoral victory have a code and a worldview that they nearly all support vigorously, whether they come from pro-choice groups, pro-illegal-immigration groups, union groups, green groups, Communist groups or gay-marriage groups, or some other Coalition-of-the-Bilking partner that I blocked out.

The code says that when one group is involved in a fight, all the others must rally to their side with position papers, public statements and the like. The worldview says that the Evil ~~Center-Right~~ ~~Common Sense~~ Extreme Right Wing must be defeated at all costs. It also says that the end result of whatever you advocate doesn't matter, as long as you hold the right "values."

So if, say, you're a green, environmentalist tree-hugging nutjob, and you attend the rally in Washington D.C. Saturday and see all the trash left over, it's ok to walk right by it and head over to Chinatown for some stir-fried tofu. This is because it's not your PERSONAL responsibility to save the planet; instead it's your personal responsibility to petition the government to raise taxes to get someone else to take care of yet another pressing problem. After all, you were THERE, you WITNESSED the terrible state of the nation's capital and BY GOD, SOMEONE needs to do something about it.

It never occurs to these crunchies that they could take ten minutes and leave the place better than they found it. And we know this is not an isolated incident, as this Inaugural record shows. Same crunchies, same modus operandi. (UPDATED with video from the events HERE)

Now, not to toot our own horn, but I've been "First On, Last Off" the grounds at a few rallies over the past months, and never, not ONCE have I seen grounds left worse off than when we arrived. But that's not really the point; the point is that the Left doesn't just DO things inconsistent with what they say they believe; it's that they don't even acknowledge that the two things go together.

Contrast this with the conservative resurgence in the past two years. Have we had our share of nutjobs and slick operators? Oh, absolutely. But when did we ever embrace them? When did we ever take the position that supporting someone really awful was better than letting the folks on the other end of the spectrum attack them unchallenged? Look it up; when tea party or the conservative movement finds some ally acting a fool, you'll frequently see Twitter and Facebook unleash The Full Force of Doom on them from the right. Contrast that with the Left's dogged support of Barney Frank or Nancy Pelosi or Chris Dodd, or, (yeah, I'm gonna say it,) any random Kennedy. We know this; we purge those who don't walk the talk. The Left does not.

Nothing is new about these revelations, but consider this: Nowhere online today can you see evidence of remorse at the state in which the Crunchy Crusade left the capital. The disconnect is amazing, and striking in this way...

Those are the people who will be motivated to return to the voting booths this fall and in 2012 to solidify their worldview further into the government of These United States, the worldview that takes all firm foundation away and rejects even the most basic of truths; that what you do is exactly what you are.

Family First

2010-09-25T22:45:00.000-05:00

I just spent a day travelling back and forth to the hometown to visit my dad in the hospital. I'm glad I got to see him and he may even be released this week.

But he's declining, and fast.

And I sit here, back at my own desk, thinking about the past two years and how little time I've had for family. Dad used to love talking politics with me; now he can barely get enough breath to talk at all.

I hope all of those people sitting in their easy chairs at home get up and do something. I'm tired, I'm tending towards despair, and I think the family will need me in the coming months more than the nation will.

MIA Conservatives

2010-08-19T13:44:00.000-05:00

What in the world is going on in Harris County?

Not much, apparently.

Today was the fifteenth e-mail, phone call or online message (counting all three ways of getting to me) in which someone asked me why they didn't see anything happening on the conservative side for the November election. This is getting so old. I don't blame the person for asking - he just wants to see conservative gains in our area, and doesn't know if he might have missed something somewhere. But there's plenty of blame to go around.

THE PARTY

Lord knows I'm not a fan of how the local Republican party leadership has operated in the past, but I must say they're far ahead of where I thought they'd be. That said, that's still LIGHT YEARS BEHIND where they need to be.

Meet and greets every week for conservative candidates? That's great! Also, the leadership has been holding sessions letting the precinct chairs know what they should be doing, and giving them tools with which to do it. Rumor has it that if a chair doesn't actually commit to doing these vital party tasks, the party will recruit another person in the precinct to do the job. THAT is exactly the focus I'd expect to see from a party that is serious about winning.

But the reports coming in from tea party folks suggest not many of the precinct chairs are engaged at all in working the plans, working with candidates in their areas, getting out the vote, or registering new voters. That's disappointing. It doesn't do a bit of good to have great ideas passed around and no one out there executing them. You can be a successful conservative without joining in party politics, but if you ARE engaged in party politics, you really have an obligation to do SOMETHING.

THE CANDIDATES

There are some great candidates out there working hard for every vote in their districts. Fernando Herrera, for example, has focused on walking the district (or skating the district!) and meeting people at every opportunity. Fernando has been at it since early this year, and always has energy and excitement in his campaign. John Faulk has probably been to more events than anyone else, asking for help and support with his campaign to unseat Sheila Jackson Lee. Neither of these candidates are depending solely on radio or print or mass mail to get them elected.

Successful candidates have poured their time and energy into doing two main things; meeting voters and recruiting volunteers. Take a look at several campaigns in the area and ask whether that is true of each of them. Just off the cuff, I can look on the east side and see Roy Morales struggling with both of those simple tasks. No campaign office, no noticeable volunteer team (in a city with a candidate that can turn 80 people out for a state house race's block walk, this is a deathknell in a Congressional race), very few candidate signs and zero energy. If they don't turn that campaign around immediately, say hello to another two years of Gene Green.

Not all this is Roy's fault; he also has to contend with things like Eric Story (who Roy defeated in the primary) bashing him at every turn, as well as Dan Patrick, who I understand is going around referring to Roy as "Roy More-or less." And that is who so many conservatives listen to? That's who's holding up the standard for the party? Ultimately the question has to become, who's worse for the district: Gene Green or Roy Morales? We're not going to get everything we want right away. We didn't get in this mess in two years and we certainly can't get out of it in two years. Long game, small steps. Dan can hang on to his grand vision of 100% perfection in conservative candidates all the way to the minority.

Still, energy in a campaign fuels more energy. Asking people to support you in a campaign is a serious endeavor. A candidate who gives voters something to believe in, shows up where they are, listens to them and convinces them he cares about them can count on them to support him all the way. A candidate who doesn't connect with voters won't have energy, and if he can't create and promote and maintain that energy, he probably doesn't really want to win.

THE PEOPLE

Oh, yes, I'm calling you closet conservatives out, too. I get so much e-mail it isn't funny, and a good bit of it centers around "Who do I vote for?" and "When are you going to have another rally?"

Really? So much for helping lead a fiscal and personal responsibility movement. It's a failure if all people want are another set of directions, or another entertainment opportunity. I didn't bleed, sweat and cry eighteen months of my life away to become an unpaid event planner and candidate cheerleader. I did everything I've done to try to get people to STOP OUTSOURCING THEIR DECISION-MAKING, and STOP WORSHIPPING POLITICAL FIGURES.

I've learned a lot these past months, but nothing more disappointing than the fact that most people really just don't care enough to do anything.

My hard-core, die-hard band of tea party allies and I will still be fighting for your freedoms; it's just going to take a lot longer if you sit in your easy chair and wait it out.

GET UP. GET BUSY.

Long time..

2010-08-18T00:48:00.000-05:00

Obviously, I've been away for too long.

My only excuse for not blogging here is that I've been managing e-mails, writing guest blogs, researching, updating the website at Houston Tea Party Society and generally getting into trouble.

I did some well-received opinion columns at Liberty Juice but didn't make it back here until today. I miss writing as me, rather than crafting communications for an organization. I love words, love putting them together, but sometimes I miss not having a filter.

So, what brings me back is the fact that it's 75 days and counting until the November elections - a project that's been, oh, only my life's work for eighteen months now - and I still don't think people really understand what's at stake. If they do, they certainly aren't acting like they do.

We seem to be awash in rallies in the run-up to the election. Well, I'm sorry, but as much fun as they are, and as much as they look good on television, they don't mean a thing unless people are willing to get out and vote. And that means, in an off-year election where turnout is always low, busting ass to identify unregistered conservatives and get them on the voter rolls, talking to neighbors, friends and coworkers about voting, going door-to-door and educating people. It means long hours in dripping-sweat weather walking up to doors that will likely be slammed in your face or go unanswered.

It's thankless. It's hard labor. It's certainly not glamorous. And it has to be done.

But instead, so many people are flocking to hear politicians speak, or hear a lecture on the Constitution, or attend a rally, or even, as Big Jolly remarks, go halfway across the country to attend a big party.

And you know why? Because none of that actually REQUIRES anything of the person.

Well, you can't win if you don't actually suit up and play the game. And too many people are leaving it to others to do the actual work. That doesn't put points on the scoreboard.

It's like this: rallies make a great news feature, but no one in politics will respect you until you bring one of two things to the table; money or votes. Tea party, in spite of all the media memes to the contrary, hasn't got money. Votes are all we can deliver. And if we aren't willing to do that, well then, we're going to fail. Simple as that.

The Temporary Reign of Ignorance

2010-01-27T09:35:00.001-06:00

I had an epiphany this morning.

We complain, moan and whine about how the Left depends upon the ignorance and easily-swayed nature of the electorate. They seem to outnumber the people who really do believe in the Constitution, in individual responsibility, and in electing leaders based on something more than image and sound bites and empty promises to fix everything.

But there are still a few realists in this country, people who see the world as it really is, not as they'd like it to appear on television. There are still people who subscribe to the notion that bailing out or taking over huge chunks of the American economy is not a path to prosperity. And there are still people who have enough of a healthy distrust of politicians to keep from making them into idols. And these people are filling the role of missionaries of liberty.

It may seem pretty dark in this country for liberty at the moment, in spite of the recent electoral wins in New Jersey, Virginia and Massachusetts. Momentum is slow to shift, and it takes time to undo dozens of years of reengineering our country in the socialist model. Even as the pendulum seems to be shifting, the statists push ever harder to keep from losing the gains accumulated over decades.

But the one thing the freedom-gobbling utopians rely on to carry their points is an uninformed electorate. Witness the quotes of those who supported the election of President Obama, and their reasoning. "If I take care of him, he's gonna take care of me." Really? Everything in me wants to find this woman and ask "How's that working out for you?"

People like that have done great, if unintentional, damage to our country. But there's a light at the end of the tunnel that I didn't see before.

While statists depend upon the aforementioned ignorance to get elected, the liberty movement has focused on education, working endlessly to reach people who just haven't paid attention before. We witnessed early proof of this working at the Town Halls last summer, as citizens quoted from memory passages from the Constitution while their representatives blathered on about the uninsured and the need to "do something."

That was a shift, and an important one, because what comes of it is this:

Knowledge gained can't be easily lost.

It really is that simple. The Left has banked on the strategy that vast numbers of people are willing to remain ignorant. The catch is that you can't reproduce ignorance in the same way that you can knowledge. You can create slogans and try to frame the debate or shut it down, but you can't take people who already know something and make them unlearn it. It's impossible without major invasive surgery. And for every one person we wake up, for every person we educate, they lose one potential ignorant foot soldier.

Knowledge is power. Information is a virus. Spread it around, because the more people catch it, the more we decimate their ranks. It may take a long time to educate a person, but it takes a lot longer to uneducate them.

Time is on our side.

Post Game Show

2009-11-04T15:38:00.000-06:00

Punditville is abuzz with the meaning of the 2009 election results, and there's a lot of activity about which to opine.Speaker Pelosi downplays the Virginia results, while Robert Gibbs dismisses the VA and NJ results as "local elections."

So here's a sampling of the opinion out there:

Michael Graham from National Review Online declares the election an illustration of why moderates can't be tossed aside.

UK Times Online claims the results of the governors' races were a referendum on the president and the economy.

Tammy Bruce remarks on the apparent lack of attention paid to the results by the White House, and also gives a nod to Michael P. Leahy's analysis of NY23, which he deems as chiefly campaign error.

My feeble thoughts (not that you asked, but I'm a giver that way):

Moderates are vitally important for a margin of victory, especially since not everyone is 'awake' yet; but if you haven't built up excitement, loyalty and trust in the base yet, nothing can save you.

The economy DOES matter. Conservatives who focus SOLELY on social issues will be arguing about gay marriage from their new home under the overpass one day. Everything else is riding on the situation, so show up in that arena first, and often.

Also, even if it were true that Obama inherited all the financial messes we've found ourselves in, boldly proclaiming that failed policies failed precisely because they weren't bold enough is, well, stupid. New Jersey and Virginia voters must not think we're headed in the right direction. But hey! The Obama documentary was on! So was V!

Lastly, grassroots candidates have got to pay attention to details. Experienced politicians will campaign against the grassroots candidates by decrying their inexperience. Before taking that step into the electoral arena, know your district, know your issues, and know your supporters. And listen to them, too. The tea party movement may have created a lot of new pesky armchair quarterbacks, but sometimes, they're right.

Tea Party Idol - Repost from Liberty Juice

2009-11-04T12:43:00.000-06:00

Everyone agrees that the tea party phenomenon has added new life and energy to the conservative political discussion in the United States. People who haven't ever involved themselves in politics before can be found in town hall meetings, quoting the Constitution at their elected representatives. Folks who haven't monitored an election at all in their lives now attend meetings of their local school boards, city councils and water districts. Some of them are even running for office themselves. It's unmatched in our history, this Great Awakening.

But with it comes the inevitable desire for the shortcut, the "cut to the chase" mentality, the expectations of the Microwave Culture. Tea Party, as a movement, has clocked in at just over a year, and yet the skeptical chorus charges: "Tea parties are ineffective. They'll never work." Others on the outskirts of the movement identify themselves as supporters, and may even donate, but essentially boil their interest down to "Just tell me who to vote for."

Then drop into this environment the "Celebri-TEAs," the speakers like Sarah Palin and Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck, so sought after by groups wishing to host the event with the most press coverage. Rumors swirl around the fees Palin gets for these appearances (high-five-figure at minimum.) And the press, rather than covering her speech, covers her costs, hairstyle, wardrobe, mode of transportation. In all the hpe, the message is lost or distorted, and the cost of the event leaves people wondering whether the cost was worth the twenty seconds of new coverage allotted to it.

Also around to gather support and bask in hero-worship are the "Poli-TEA-cians," self-described tea party candidates and elected officials who just want a chance to speak to the crowd and sell them on their tea party credentials. Not satisfied with organizing their own campaign events, they seek to turn every rally into their own self-worship service, telling you how they will "FIGHT FOR YOU" without addressing one issue of substance. They say so little, for someone taking up so much time at a rally.

It's easy to see the allure of celebrity for an event like a tea party. What organizer wouldn't want to get credit for organizing the LARGEST RALLY in their area, in their state, in the nation? The positive press and positive image resulting from hosting such a massive event would be irresistable. And what tea party attendee wouldn't love to be among the largest crowd, with the potential to see themselves on the evening news? In a nation obsessed with image, in a sound-bite news culture, what the news displays becomes accepted reality.

So again and again, tea party people hold up Palin, Hannity, and Beck and the like, or even local political operators, with the hopes that THIS ONE will lead us all into the promised land, and everything will be all right.

But talk to any real grassroots-level organizer and you find a lot less glamour, and a lot less money, too. After the rallies, the real leaders are picking up the little trash left behind, They're packing up their vehicles with unsold merchandise and banners and sign-in sheets, which they protect with their lives. They're answering e-mails at three in the morning, from people who have a dozen questions but haven't been able to make it to a meeting yet. They're preparing for meetings, uncertain if they will be welcoming two or two hundred. They're waking up before dawn to prepare for radio interviews on the latest loony bomber plot, because inevitably the media will want to know whether the loon-du-jour is a member of the tea party.

These leaders don't get their pictures in the paper, and they certainly don't command five-figure speaking fees. They'd be happy if, just for five minutes, a politician listened to them instead of talk. These folks try to balance work and family, pleasure and duty, life and country. More often than not, they hear the voices of the doubters, the naysayers and the skeptics rather than the encouragement of those who recognize their sacrifices and decide to step up and work alongside them. And when those idols of the movement prove to be profiteers, establishment hacks, opportunists or worde, these leaders get the inevitable questions and complaints, the chorus of "ineffective!"

Nobody makes a tea party organizer into an idol. And that's what makes this movement so unique and wonderful. There are hundreds of these web warriors across the country, and more and more joining the ranks every day. They're frequently dispirited, and yet sincerely hopeful that their efforts will make a difference in the end. Long after the idols have oved on to the next rally and the next paycheck, these are the people left, still organizing, leading, doing the work that needs to be done. They don't want to be worshipped as idols. They want people to stop making idols out of celebrities and politicians. They don't want to be seen as saviors. They want people to stop looking for political saviors and start looking to themselves for the solutions.

And they'd probably also like a nap.

Original Post Here

Restrained

2009-10-14T16:14:00.000-05:00

There are some disturbed people out there.

Recently I attended a meeting where one participant, because he couldn't convince the others to break some promises to third parties, lost his temper and began yelling in the meeting. OK, I can forgive you losing your temper. That's not a big deal at all. I do it all the time, and I hope to be forgiven when I do.

Still, the guy made several of us uncomfortable, and we were even less willing to work with him after that outburst.

NOW, this guy is tossing around threats of lawsuits for slander, and talking about carrying guns around with him wherever he goes. I do not know HOW this escalated to that, but he's devolved into a mass of paranoia and threatening phrases. One person who was there is filing for a restraining order, and encouraging the rest of us to do so as well.

Weird.

But I guess I shouldn't be surprised. The Freedom Movement attracts many different types, and perhaps this is one of the fringe-y guys who held it together long enough to pass unnoticed before. At least now we know what he is, and can move around him.

One thing's clear; know with whom you're getting into bed. The extraction process is often too painful to accomplish easily.

Surreality and Puppetry

2009-10-12T00:18:00.000-05:00

This has been the craziest week. Something like "Guess who had the BEST WEEK EVER?" combined with "WTH?" and a little "OMG" thrown in.

Last Thursday I flew to Washington D.C. to attend Americans for Prosperity's 'Defending the American Dream' conference. AFP footed the bill for the flight and hotel, or I'd never have been able to attend. It was two days of breakouts and networking and information and other awesomeness. The best part had to be meeting many Twitter friends and making new ones; there's kind of an unofficial Twitter Activist Fraternity, and I am glad they let me in, especially since my blogging is half-assed these days, what with one thing and another.

The week ended with an overnight to San Antonio to meet up with the organizers from Dallas, San Antonio and Austin for the Tea Party movement. We had a great session, and started some things in motion that will pay off hugely down the road. These are some amazing people, and as they continue working together, be prepared to see some powerful influence coming out of Texas.

But the highlight, the pinnacle, the apex of my week had to be a whirlwind trip to LA. Steven Crowder, PJTV/You Tube video comedy/political studdmuffin, asked me to fly out to do puppetry on a video of his. The speed with which it all happened made my head swim, but you can see the results for yourself. The video is not completely fitting on the blog, and I'm not sure how to make it fit, but you can see it at this link in full:

Steven Crowder: School's for Fools!

Get it RIGHT

2009-09-08T16:20:00.000-05:00

Oh, silly, silly media. You think that if you don't show it, it didn't happen. So sad for you that we all learned to bring our cameras...

Fox 7 Austin Coverage

Our Correction

2009-08-31T13:18:00.000-05:00

There's a lot of press chasing the latest doings of the administration, and the vocal opposition to its agenda. You can't turn on the news without seeing a story about the health care debate, or the economy, or Cap and Trade. The debate is a good thing, and people who never cared about such issues before have suddenly found themselves chest-deep in the intricacies of legislation, discussing the Constitution. That renewed interest can never be bad for our republic.

What concerns me is the image portrayed by our opposition.

First, let's think about the goal here. Is the highest goal to keep a given piece of legislation from being passed? If so, then how do we make that happen? The obvious answer is to amass enough public opposition to render it politically impossible for Congress to pass it. This is why the town hall meetings have been so compelling; people are attending these events in unprecedented numbers to make their opinion known, especially on the health care legislation.

Is it having an effect? A little bit. It might result in a watered-down version of what's currently on offer being passed. But make no mistake, unless there's a radical change in the typical congressvarmint's point of view, this bill, in some form, WILL PASS.

So how do you change the view of Congress? My opinion is that you do it by reaching some of their base who do not currently agree with you. That takes many forms, but a good example is Tracy Miller's attempt to explain the health care legislation at an aborted Sheila Jackson Lee town hall. Sheila moved her town hall, and Tracy ended up at the original location. There she met several people who were supporters of the congresswoman, but who didn't know much about what was in the bill. She spent time that evening talking to those people and giving them facts and excerpts from the bill, and found common ground with them. She gave them something that was in short supply from Sheila Jackson Lee - information. That's a valuable outreach effort.

Would Tracy have had that opportunity to reach these SJL supporters had she charged in with her Obama Joker poster held high? I really don't think so. Would they have been receptive to anything she had to say? Probably not. Tracy knows this, and acted accordingly.

We should all take a page from her book, and learn something about image.

When Houston Tea Party Society hosted tea parties, we did our best to encourage people to focus on Congress as their targets. Putting the focus on the newly-elected, highly popular, still-honeymooning president would only serve to make those supporters dig in their heels and root their support even deeper. Congress was (and is) a much smarter target choice, and as Tracy found in an early SJL town hall, rich with material - as when SJL pretended to listen to Tracy's question and talked on her cell phone at the same time. That video landed the congresswoman, and Tracy, on the Fox News Channel.

The point here is that without the distraction of an altered Obama photo, without the distraction of a Sheila Jackson Lee voodoo doll, the story became Sheila Jackson Lee's behavior. Add those distracting elements into the picture, and the media would be reporting on the poster, on the doll. Is that the story we want to tell? Is that the goal; to get a chuckle out of people who agree with us? Or is the larger goal to prevail, to sway more people on the fence to agree with us, to amass the numbers we need to force Congress to abandon their socialist plans?

You can go for the cheap laugh, or you can go for the win. It's up to you. But if you go for the laugh, don't be surprised if we aren't all laughing along. Some of us would like to keep the focus on the issues.

Sacrifice (8/22 Radio Commentary)

2009-08-22T13:35:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago I saw the movie “300” for the first time with Natalie and friends at her birthday celebration. I’d heard the stories of Thermopylae and the Spartans’ stand against the Persian hordes, and writers have used it for centuries as a heroic example of fighting for freedom. But there’s one theme that keeps coming back to me; sacrifice.

In the movie, King Leonidas knows Sparta is threatened by the Persians, and yet the politicians will not act to defend it. And he knows that if he waits until the Persians get to Sparta, they will all be enslaved. So in defiance of the oracle and the politicians, he takes his 300 men and goes to meet the Persians in the most defensible place he can find. For days they fight bravely and hold off the Persians, until they are betrayed when someone shows the Persians another path to outflank the Spartans. Leonidas and all his 300 are finally overcome by the Persian army.

Their sacrifice was not in vain, though. The small but powerful resistance led to a greater number of Greeks standing against Persia, and their resistance eventually convinced the Persians to abandon the battle to conquer all of Greece.

So how does that relate to today?

If the socialist agenda is passed, you’ll pay higher prices for things. Your taxes will go up. You will give up some things you used to be able to afford with ease. You’ll have to choose between things like health care and home repair. Between the light bill and the grocery bill. Between buying gas for your car or tires to stay on the road safely.

And if you decide to fight the socialist onslaught, you’ll sacrifice much more as well. You’ll sacrifice your time, your energy, your peace of mind, your resources, your vacations, your family time, your talent, your free time, and in my case, even your sanity at times.

The question is, are you merely going to sacrifice because the other side won, or are you going to sacrifice to prevent it?

Make no mistake; you are going to sacrifice in some way because of the invasion of socialism. It’s up to you whether you do it involuntarily because they take it from you, or whether you choose to sacrifice for the fight.

Me, I like a good fight.

2009-08-13T17:45:00.000-05:00

Flag@WhiteHouse.gov

I am flagging myself because I do not believe the typical spin of the Left when it comes to the current health care legislation, and I understand economics well enough to recognize a plan that defies all economic principles.

I am flagging myself because, as Hillary Clinton said, “I am sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and you disagree with this administration somehow you’re not patriotic. We should stand up and say we are Americans and we have a right to debate and disagree with any administration.”

I am flagging myself because I love and support the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and the country that results from them, and I believe that those documents, not the whims of men, should govern our nation.

I am flagging myself because I believe that government of the people, by the people, and for the people requires us to stand up in opposition whenever we believe it has gone off track.

I am flagging myself because I am not afraid to stand up and say what I believe to anyone, including anyone in power in the administration.

I am flagging myself because if Congress and the Administration will not listen to the voice of the people, we will make our voices louder, starting with me.

I am flagging myself because I don’t get my information solely from the media’s administration-fed talking points, nor do I get it solely from pundits who closet themselves with officials to decide on the best spin on the news of the day.

I am flagging myself because I am an independent thinker, and will not swallow everything without skepticism.

I am flagging myself because I am an American.

I am flagging myself because I believe in this country.

I am flagging myself so that other people will join me in standing up and speaking out.

I am flagging myself because I love this country.

Test Drive the New Health Care Plan

2009-08-05T00:15:00.000-05:00

Free! Who doesn’t like the word “free?” I’m a bargain-shopper, I clip coupons and shop the sales, so of course I always notice the word “free.”Well, I have to admit I’m starting to hate it, especially since the resurgence of the government health care debate. And let’s call it what it is: GOVERNMENT health care.

I don’t want to get into the facts, figures and statistics they’ll toss at us to try to sell it. Let’s just look at basic economic principles.

The president says if you like your current health care plan, you can keep it. If you don’t have a health care plan, or are dissatisfied with your current plan, you can opt in to the government plan. They call this the public option. Sounds good so far, right? Sounds fair?

But take the emotion out of the issue. Instead, let’s talk about something simpler, like cars, and restate that premise.

If you like your current car, you can keep driving it. If you don’t have a car, or are dissatisfied with your current car, you can opt for a government car. All of a sudden that doesn’t sound so fair, does it? Cars cost money, and the people who are driving cars they like, people who spent good money for those cars, see other people getting free cars. And what’s worse, the people paying to keep their own cars realize that they must also be paying for the free cars somehow.

What would any reasonably intelligent car owner do in this situation? If he’s looking out for himself, he’s running as fast as he can to the government car handout center.

But suddenly, there’s one less car owner paying his way. Suddenly, the car dealership has one less customer. Suddenly, other people realize this bargain too, and rush off to get their own government car. Everyone gets a “freebie.” YAY!!!!

Except the car dealer goes out of business. And then people discover that the government cars take a while to come in. Sometimes a long while. And people discover the government cars aren’t always the greatest; instead they get whatever cars happen to be on the government lot.

Now go back to health care. As more people sign on to the free health care option, and more businesses stop paying for employees’ health care, private insurance will completely disappear. That’s not promoting health care choices! And consider this: the government pays doctors a lot less for Medicaid patients than insurance companies do. Will doctors even want to continue to practice medicine if they’re only going to be paid by the government? That LIMITS your choices even further. The government has already made a mess of Medicaid and Social Security. Are these the people you’re going to trust with your health care?

The lesson here, just like your mom taught you all those years ago, is this: nothing in life is “FREE.”

A Word on Social Issues

2009-05-26T16:44:00.001-05:00

In light of controversies popping up around the movement, I thought I should cross post this here.

Look at any social issue category under the sun and you can find a place for it under the Tea Party umbrella. Second Amendment rights in danger? Tea Party stands with you. Federal dollars doled out for funding abortions? Tea Party is on to that, too. Ministers in danger of being silenced in the pulpit for hate speech? Tea Party has got your back.

Here’s where quite a few people miss the power of the movement: some don’t want to sit at the same table with others who have opposing views on social issues, EVEN IF it meant that by working together they multiplied their effectiveness on the fiscal ones. It’s my personal opinion that if all the people who want government out of their lives as much as possible WORK TOGETHER, they can achieve that far more easily than if they worked separately on their own issue. The focus is narrow, and the application is wide. That wide application means that a Tea Party rally can bring thousands together to support a single cause. And the thousands, if they hold together, can return again and again, to Downtown Houston, to Austin’s Capitol, to the nation’s Capital until the elected officials and the media start listening!

It’s so exciting when you picture it! We can build a movement that the GOVERNMENT can be afraid of, not the other way around! We can take back all the power stolen from us, if we just stay together! Imagine the issues that divided the founding fathers, and how they still managed to build a federation of states and a form of government that still promotes freedom, if we will just fight for it. Benjamin Franklin said it best at the signing of the Declaration of Independence:

“We must all hang together, gentlemen…else, we shall most assuredly hang separately”

We have to develop that attitude if we are going to continue to collectively take the Tea Party movement into the faces of the elected officials who are grabbing power as fast as they can. If you join Tea Party with your particular issue, understand that not everyone will share it. Others in the movement will hold views completely opposite to yours on particular issues. At the same time, realize that you WILL find people who feel the same way you do, and seek them out and work together on that issue. And remember that every person who joins the movement for fiscal responsibility is an ally in that cause! If we start pulling apart because pro-lifers are in the same room as pro-choicers, or because gay members are in the same room with traditional marriage advocates, WE’RE LOST!

Let’s keep the focus: stopping government overreach and promoting fiscal responsibility. No, these issues aren’t as “sexy” as some others, and they require some thought, some education, some reason and some effort that we haven’t centered in that direction as a nation in a long time. It won’t be easy. But it will be worth it!

Tax Day Tea Party 2009

2009-04-24T16:49:00.001-05:00

Wow, that was fun! 11,000+ people in Downtown Houston!

More soon!

Houston Tea Party on Glenn Beck

2009-04-04T18:23:00.000-05:00

Mailbag Sampler

2009-04-03T22:11:00.000-05:00

Can I just say how amazing people are? Just when I'm losing hope and faith in this country, I get totally surprised. After appearing on television a few minutes, this is the kind of mail I received:

***

I am a conservative who feels frustrated because my voice is not being heard. While watching Glen Beck this afternoon I was made aware of another tea party that is taking place here in Houston on April 15th. My question is, how can I get involved?

***

I believe in our constitution and I believe it’s under assault, with that I would like to help in any way I can.

***

I just have a general comment. I hope you can relay this message to all the leaders of the org.. This movement should not be about anyone's ego or anyone promoting himself in any way. It's not a competition or a popularity contest. It is about the people of Houston and ultimately, this entire nation, taking their country back. A true leader is someone who dies to their ego and places the movement itself as top priority. Unless this happens, the movement will not achieve all the great things it's meant to achieve.

***

Saw you on Glenn Beck's show today and I'm in complete agreement with the Tea Party movement.

I'm an old cold war veteran, who used to make my living as an artist/entrepreneur.

Now disabled and too old to partake in any physical protests, besides the snow is still too deep here in Wisconsin.

I have been using my only talent that I still have left to express my thoughts to protest these stupid government actions.

***

I would first like to thank all of you for starting this movement. I would also like to say that this is a big concern for the vast majority of Americans in every state. I'm from New Hampshire and most everyone in this state feels the same as you. I hope and pray that this movement crosses every state line in this country. If there is a petition to sign or some way I can help, then I'm in. I'm sorry I can't afford to send a donation. Like many Americans, I'm struggling financially. Thanks again for speaking up for me and everyone else.

***

I am able, ready and willing as I am unemployed right now and will volunteer my time to help in your event, point me in direction you need help.

***

I AM A MOTHER AND A GRANDMOTHER I CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT MY GRANDCHILDREN ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS COUNTRY THAT WE ALL USE TO BE SO PROUD OF. THE GOVENMENT HAS LEFT US NO CHOICE IN ANYTHING WE DO OR SAY.

***
I am 62 year old disabled vet from the Vietnam War. It does my heart good to see you folks refusing to give in to Obama's Socialistic/Communistic rhetoric. I like the idea Texas is the ONLY Republic in this entire nation. I enjoy the history and the heart of the Texans who got the state on her feet and made her strong. You folks have a good grasp on reality and firm hold on your dreams. You are what America once was,....and can be again. God Bless.

***

Fishie again. I need to buy stock in Kimberly-Clark or something. Every time I read through these, I get weepy all over again. It was really a restorative that I needed in the worst way. I'm currently living on cigarettes and Pepsi, because my appetite is gone, and sleeping maybe four hours a night on average, but this volume of e-mail bolsters me in a way nothing else has.

If you live in the US, these are your neighbors. These are your church members. These are the people you stand in line with at the grocery store.

These are the people we need to stand up with, and for, at the Tea Parties on April 15th.

Join me at Jones Plaza at 4 p.m. and let's show the media we matter. Join me and let the politicians meet their Board of Directors.

Tea Party TV in Houston

2009-03-29T00:05:00.001-05:00

This is insane.

But I'll take it.

Watch me on Channel 13 HERE.

And I apologize to the three people who read this blog and notice I haven't updated lately. I have a few things going that take a little bit of my free time.

But I'm working on it.

Tea Party Swag

2009-03-20T23:24:00.000-05:00

Just opened up a STORE for Tea Party goodies. More to come!

Here's my personal fave:

Frequently Asked Questions

2009-03-16T08:52:00.000-05:00

How did you get involved in the Tea Party Movement?

I am on Facebook and Twitter, and the buzz on Twitter was about having three large tea parties in three different cities. Soon other people stepped up to volunteer to add their own cities to the list, and I decided Houston, large as it is, needed to be represented as well. I wasn't recruited, nor did I apply for permission. I just planned the event with my cohorts, and joined the national effort.

How long did it take you to organize the 2/27 event?

We planned the Tea Party with six days' notice. And with only six days' notice, we saw a crowd of about 500.

Why didn't I see anything about it on tv?

Um, yeah. Media. Well, we made our own coverage and videos, which can be seen here and here. When you use You Tube, the media can miss the story and you can still get the word out.

Your crowd didn't look very diverse.

Our speakers sure were!

People like to say this is just an angry white people phenomenon. The truth is that bad economic policies hurt everyone, and the black and Hispanic communities are hurt worst of all. In tough times, people don't take the risk to start businesses. When taxes are high, you find barriers to entry in small businesses, and less disposable income to stimulate the economy.

It is also important to remember that this borrow-and-spend habit never works. Wealth and jobs are created by businesses and people, not governments. Government doesn't create anything, it merely takes what you've already worked for and says "You're not smart enough to spend that money correctly, so we're going to do it for you." This from the people who order $600 toilets.

But didn't all this spending start under President Bush? Why blame President Obama?

Oh, it DID start under President Bush, and it was reprehensible then, too. And many of us railed against him then, too. But this was during the middle of an election cycle, and there was no general interest in covering the lame-duck president losing support. Those reports instead covered John McCain and his mild objections to massive spending.

People who are angry at the current president also realize which president and which Congress got the ball rolling on bailouts and spending. The banking sector, the auto industry, the investment companies, the mortgage industry... all this was inevitable with the first discussion of a bailout in Bush's term. That doesn't absolve the current president from blame for the way he has greased the skids and sent the economy rocketing to hell on a bobsled.

Hell on a bobsled? Come ON.

I stand by my statement. When a government can grab control of the major facets of the economy, whether by ownership or severe regulation, markets cease to provide information by which to make good business decisions. People stop taking risks, investment falls, and capital is horded rather than invested for growth. Sounds like fun, right?

It sounds like you are just engaging in class warfare.

Class warfare has already been DECLARED on the taxpayer!

Let me make it personal. My husband will be losing his job at the end of April, so we're scrambling to figure out how we will make it after that. He's paid our mortgage faithfully for years, and never missed. But now, more of his income is supposed to be stolen from him in order to pay for other people's mortgages; mortgages they obtained by lying or by purchasing more house than they could afford, mortgages in which the owners are woefully behind on the payments. What gives those people the entitlement to my husband's paycheck? Why should we be forced to pay to keep others in their houses? Who will keep us in ours?

No, class warfare was declared, and we are RESPONDING.

What do you hope to accomplish with the Tea Party movement?

The theme of the Tax Day Tea Party protests across the country is "Repeal the Pork, Cut Taxes." Our message to Congress and to the President is simple: current policies are incompatible with the Constitution, so follow the Constitution.

Locally, we plan to organize more formally in order to reach local politicians and candidates. We aim to hold candidate forums and design ways to get our message to our elected officials in ways that they can no longer ignore. We're fed up!

Fiscally Irresponsible

2009-03-01T13:35:00.001-06:00

When the opportunity to host a Tea Party of our own in Houston came up, I had about five minutes to decide whether to do it. I made a commitment for a huge sum of money, at least huge for us. I was going to say than for others it would be pocket change, but then, times are tight all over.

It's certainly tight in my own family. My darling, hard-working, supportive and patriotic (pays his taxes) husband found out right before Christmas that his job was being outsourced. At present, he has until the end of April to work out the parting agreement and severance period, but we're trying not to spend on ANYTHING we don't have to.

Still, At the risk of saddling us with more debt and missing some bills this month, I decided we needed to do this in Houston, and I went down to the park and put down the deposit in faith. God, I prayed, if this is going to get done, you are going to have to do it. I asked for donations to help defray the cost, and sent out our Paypal information.

The response was incredible! Not only did people donate over $580 through Paypal, but at the event itself, when I had just written a huge check for the location, people donated over $800 more! Everyone at that rally that pitched in to make sure we could have the event not only saved my family from a financial crisis, but they seeded the opportunity to hold more and larger events.

I'm humbled by the rescue. I'm awed by my own personal bailout. And I'm more determined than ever to see this movement through, to make an impact on the way this country is run.

To everyone that gave at the rally or before, thank you from my heart. My own fiscal irresponsibility was redeemed, and now we can continue the work on Congress' habit of fiscal irresponsibility as well.

Houston Tea Party Amazing Success!

2009-02-28T14:01:00.000-06:00

I am floored, simply floored, by the fact that around 500 people showed up in Downtown Houston, on a Friday lunchtime to rally for our country!

There are some good write-ups and pictures that I will link here as soon as I get all the links together, but here are a few:

Future of the HCRP

Photoshow Account

Grass Widows Diary

And a great video montage by Bryan.

The people who poured into the park to talk about our country and how we can heal it were such an inspiration to me. I heard stories from stressed parents, worried grandparents, hard-working taxpayers, fed-up citizens and people who have such a passion and a love for this country that it brings tears to my eyes.

We asked that attendees fill out index cards with their contact information and how they heard about the event. I have over 350 response cards! People really do want to see action taken to defeat the huge spending bills and keep Congress from snatching our wallets entirely. (Upon arriving home after the event, I was informed that my phone had been ringing off the hook all day, and that the house was pretty-much designated Tea Party Central for Houston.) By the way, that 350 number doesn't include the 150 e-mails I've since tried to wade through from people equally angry, but too tied up in actually working to pay their own bills to attend the rally. I know, novel concept.

This is the beginning of a national movement, as Tea Parties sprung up in over 50 cities nationwide, from Washington DC to the Santa Monica Pier. Locally, the organizers are trying to recover, then we will be working on plans for the next rally.

Again, every one of the people who came Friday, and every one of the ones who missed but contacted me, move me deeply. I hear their passion, I know their hearts, I understand their frustration. And if I have anything to give them with the meager gifts I've been given, it is to convince them that we are neither hopeless nor powerless. This is my mission now.

Thanks to Ces Guerra,

Chris Nelson,

Wendy Herman,

Natalie Arceneaux,

Claver T. Kamau-Imani, and

Jessica Colon

for addressing the crowd and inspiring us all to refuse to take the abuse anymore! Also, special thanks to Josh Parker (I could kiss you!) and Chelsea Winfree (my baby girl!) for working their rears off to plan this event and make it so special. They were the awesome duo that did everything while I got massive amounts of credit I didn't deserve.

Stay tuned for the next Tea Party Event in Houston. We will have BIG DOINGS planned!

He Started It

2009-02-21T17:54:00.000-06:00

Rick Santelli started something here.

Upset over the possibility of having to struggle further in this economy by being taxed to pay mortgages for irresponsible people, Santelli has had enough. And now, so have the members of:

Top Conservatives on Twitter

Smart Girl Politics

Americans for Tax Reform

Heartland Institute

The American Spectator

and
DONTGO

Efforts are being combined here, and the local group is trying to get together here on Facebook and here with the Future of the HCRP and Rebuild the Party.

Our local group will be organizing the folowing:

2/27 - Houston Tea Party Protest

4/1 - Send teabags to the White House

7/4 - Houston Tea Party Event

Watch this space to keep up, and check out the links above as well. This ought to send a strong message to the tax-and spenders!

My Dear Children, I Apologize

2009-02-18T15:54:00.000-06:00

Dear Bigun and Little Critter,

As your mother, I've attempted to teach you personal responsibility and owning up to your mistakes. Sometimes I did that by example, like when I thought one of you had made a mess and it turned out to be your father. I'd apologize and ask for your forgiveness.

Other times it would take the form of long talks; ones that bored you, I know, but ones filled with words that I'd hope that you'd remember.

This time, I've failed you in a huge way, and I want to apoligize publicly for what I've done; not just for absolution, but to serve as The Bad Example you spend your life trying to avoid.

I'm sorry that the government is going to be taking so much of your future earnings. With one of you in college and the other in grade school, the burden on each of you will be felt differently, but you will each feel it.

Bigun, provided that you can actually afford to finish college, your earnings will immediately be cropped to pay for such things as mortgage bailouts of irresponsible borrowers, large public works projects that provide no lasting employment, dog parks in Maine (offered to entice that state's senators to vote for the bill,) disc golf courses in Austin, and a snowmaking facility in Minnesota.

Little Critter, honey, college may not even be in the cards for you. I know it's 8 years away at least, but before then, we may have to move in with Grandma and Paw Paw. By the time you finish school, they will still be around and not be dependent on Social Security for their income, because they were very smart and saved like demons in their working years.

Oops, forgot about that incredible mortgage-failure-driven market downturn here recently. Perhaps the retirement plans they slaved to build will provide very little income after all. However, somewhat generous Social Security benefits will still be paid to them, which could help support us; at least until they eventually succumb to the ailments of people in their eighties. By then, Medicaid will have begun to ration their health care, and they might not qualify to receive treatment because they will be deemed too old to treat or save, too spendy to waste money on. And baby, we can't depend on receiving any inheritance from them if they are refused treatment: they'll have had to sell everything before qualifying for the government care anyway.

So again, dear children, I'm sorry.

Sorry I knew what would happen and did not stop it.

Sorry your future paychecks will be scissored to the point where you'll never be financially independent, or free of government's greedy grasp. If, that is, you can find a job.

Sorry that my generation has stolen not just from you, but from your children-to-be as well.

Sorry my political activism did not convince as many people as I needed to in order to prevent this coming to pass.

Sorry that I took time off from advocating universal personal responsibility to work part time, go to your events, support your sports teams, see you in plays or behind the scenes, volunteer at your schools, teach others how to shop with coupons, attend Bible studies, teach your science and computer labs, run your school carnivals, cook your dinners and all the other "frivolous" things I did with my time.

Please forgive your mother who thought just bringing two responsible, kind-hearted, talented, warm and loving children into the world would be a great enough contribution. I had no idea that my legacy would not only be the two of you, but all the mess the grown-ups in this country made.

The Stimulus Made Easy

2009-02-16T11:31:00.001-06:00

Ripped off completely from Josh Flynn on his Facebook page:

Shortly after class, an economics student approaches his economics professor and says, "I don't understand this stimulus bill. Can you explain it to me?"The professor replied, "I don't have any time to explain it at my office, but if you come over to my house on Saturday and help me with my weekend project, I'll be glad to explain it to you. “The student agreed.

At the agreed-upon time, the student showed up at the professor's house. The professor stated that the weekend project involved his backyard pool.They both went out back to the pool, and the professor handed the student a bucket. Demonstrating, with his own bucket, the professor said, "First, go over to the deep end, and fill your bucket with as much water as you can."The student did as he was instructed.

The professor then continued, "Follow me over to the shallow end, and then dump all the water from your bucket into it." The student was naturally confused, but did as he was told.

The professor then explained they were going to do this many more times, and began walking back to the deep end of the pool.The confused student asked, "Excuse me, but why are we doing this?"The professor matter-of-factly stated that he was trying to make the shallow end much deeper.

The student didn't think the economics professor was serious, but figured that he would find out the real story soon enough.However, after the 6th trip between the shallow end and the deep end, the student began to become worried that his economics professor had gone mad.

The student finally replied, "All we're doing is wasting valuable time and effort on unproductive pursuits. Even worse, when this process is all over, everything will be at the same level it was before, so all you'll really have accomplished is the destruction of what could have been truly productive action!"

The professor put down his bucket and replied with a smile, "Congratulations. You now understand the stimulus bill."

Epiphanimonious

2009-02-05T14:15:00.001-06:00

Remember the commercials that were the direct cause of the smackdown of Hillary Health Care in the '90s? It looks like the creative conservatives are fighting the stimulus with the updated version of Harry and Louise:

Try this:

And this:

And tell me that humor and tipping sacred cows isn't going to get the job done in the long run.

And while we're at it, I got an invite to join THIS group. Now, I don't consider myself a member of the entertainment industry by any means, but I have written a little professionally and certainly enjoy the arts, specifically the dramatic arts. I'm an artistic supporter, I guess. But this group looks like it has the right idea! I'm all in!

I Like to Win

2009-01-31T19:11:00.000-06:00

I'm VERY competitive. I don't know why God put that in me, but it's there in great abundance. If my husband beats me at Wii Fit Soccer Heading, I HAVE to regain my title. He can keep me agitated for weeks by winning our timed Sudoku challenges for days in a row. It's a compulsion. No, it's often a sickness.

But it isn't all bad. When it comes to elections, I really like to win. And there's a darn good reason for that: the stakes. If I am a Republican, I believe the country works best a certain way, governed by people who share my values. If I don't do my best to see that viewpoint prevail, then I'm saying I don't care so much who runs the show.

I'm convinced that some people who feel passionately about the issues are dropping out of the process. They might feel the party is taking a direction they don't support, or that the politicians elected under our banner don't promote the values of the party, but instead their own selfish agendas. And they're probably correct.

But the solution to that isn't to take the ball and go home. The solution is to get back in the game, to be an active part of the process. If your voice of dissent isn't heard, then you leave the works in the hands of people who haven't listened to you BECAUSE they haven't heard you.

The way I explain it to friends is this:

There is only one game in town.
If you want to be on the field, you have to be on a team.
There are only two teams.
Choose one.
Play to win.

To win (and isn't that ultimately what we're talking about here?), Republicans need several things.

1) They need all the groups and factions to realize they have much more in common with each other than they each do with Democrats.

2) They need to recruit, train, and run candidates who can carry the message of our shared values.

3) They need a good organization behind the candidates to mobilize grassroots teams and increase their size and scope and reach.

If the party is falling down on any of these things, it isn't doing its job. Too many Republicans look at results as snapshots. It's time to look at the trends and realize the MOVEMENT that is in them, and then reverse it.

Suit up, Republicans!

Michael Steele, new RNC Chair

2009-01-30T18:07:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Michael Steele, who won the race for RNC chair after six LONG ballots.

If you want to read his plan for the party, go here. Under Platforms, you will find his Blueprint for Tomorrow. In it, he covers preparing for redistricting, grassroots activism, technology and also ethics.

Quotes from today's acceptance speech:

"Get ready, baby, it's time to turn it on" (to the northeastern states)

"We stand proud as the conservative party of the United States."

"For those of you who wish to obstruct, get ready to get knocked over."

I like this guy's attitude!

Kirk's Fourth Principle

2009-01-29T22:30:00.000-06:00

Conservatives are guided by their principle of prudence. ...in the statesman, prudence is chief among virtues. Any public measure ought to be judged by its probable long-run consequences, not merely by temporary advantage or popularity - or kind intentions. (emphasis mine)

In the current financial crisis, the temptation to try anything, to throw all ideas at the wall and see what sticks, is overwhelming. In a crisis, hurt people want action. There's no time for thinking through the consequences.

But is it a crisis? Are we really that vulnerable? And is this stimulus package going to fix anything?

Kind intentions can be deadly. Try to help a pidgeon out of its egg, and you will kill it. Hold a child nonstop, and he sees no need to learn to walk. An attempt to bubble-wrap your life doesn't always result in a safer world.

The House did pass the stimulus bill (or the Porculus, which I think is ever so much more descriptive) and the issue resides now with the Senate. Considering the above statement, it seems unlikely any conservative Senator can vote for this. It ought not be the sole item upon which a senator's conservatism is judged, but it ought to be a large portion of the equation.

Unfortunately, Congress has for years thrown prudence out the window, preferring to kick many issues down the road for future generations to tackle. Social Security not really secure? No problem. Borrow more, and by the time the bill comes due, those in the body passing the buck are dead, no doubt with a hefty Death Tax bill paid by the heirs. Immigration not working out so well? Easy peasey. Pass an amnesty bill and say "No mas" until the issue comes up again in fifteen years.

Politicians don't gain anything by dealing with the long-term, except a kick in the pants from the other guys saying "You idiot, you're going to kill us all!" Politicians think one election cycle ahead. It's all they can afford. You can't blame the fish for swimming.

Still, I think we all need to start hoping, expecting, and demanding more of our elected officials. I've contacted my Congressman and Senators before, but not nearly enough. I know it's a pain. I know it doesn't fit into the schedule. But we need to be doing it anyway. Because it matters.

And we ought to be electing statesmen when we can find them.

Resolution Wrap-up

2009-01-28T15:45:00.001-06:00

For the four people who might care, the resolution I was to offer last night never made it to the floor. The Future of the HCRP site gives reasons here, but let me offer my own as well.

First, the length of the meeting. After spending nearly two hours sitting through presentations and reports in an unprecedented level of detail, I honestly thought the "mood" for real debate was lost. While there were people in the room who would have welcomed the argument, at some point the exhaustion factor kicks in and people who actually have lives need to return to them. Those who might not care passionately about a particular resolution can't be blamed for leaving.

Secondly, parliamentary nerdiness. I know some members were waiting to see whether a chair sponsoring a resolution would rise to seek the microphone. I learned the motion to adjourn was probably imminent if I rose and went forward. One can't really run through an assembly, can one? Perhaps I ought to have moved up a row at a time. :)

I still believe the process ought to be investigated thoroughly (which is why the motion was to refer the matter to Rules,) and the election code and applicable rules are being studied. The Secretary of State may well give an opinion on the issue.

In the meantime, anyone who witnessed the flurry of activity up on the podium last night is aware of one thing: the pressure put on the leadership has produced movement. I'm not ready to hang out the "Mission Accomplished" banner, but it's certainly an attempt to steer the fleet towards the battle.

Into the Fire

2009-01-27T09:45:00.001-06:00

This is the last post I'll get to make before I jump into the fire.

Tonight is the Executive Committee meeting of the Harris County Republican Party, and I'm offering a whopper (apparently) of a resolution, one that's supposed to ignite a firestorm. Ready for this?

My resolution calls for the Rules committee to craft language about removing party officers, and present it to the body for approval.

That's all. And somehow, asking the party to consider implementing a process for removal of anyone is A NUCLEAR OPTION.

Puh-leeeeeze.

There was a way to remove Clinton from office, not that it was successful. There was a way to remove Gray Davis from the California governorship. There's a way to remove Illinois governor Blago, for Pete's sake. Are we saying that precinct chairs, legal counsels, vice chairs and party chairs are more indispensible?

And aren't we out shouting from the rooftops that we're the party of accountability? But we won't hold our own party officials to account?

And consider, a removal process allows the "accused" an option of defending himself. It avoids the images of storming the castle with a pitchfork, and instead replaces it with a reasoned, methodical means of deciding the issue.

So, if I'm accused of being a subversive, a Ron Paul nut, a closet RINO, a fruitcake, a tool, an idiot, and anything else fun and uplifting, I'll report back. Meantime, just pray for me.

Here's the text I'm offering. How anyone can object to even considering it is beyond me.

Resolution of the Executive Committee of the Harris County Republican Party (“HCRP”) to create a procedure for the removal and replacement of party officials

Whereas, the Harris County Republican Party (“HCRP”) is established by Bylaws last amended as of May 6, 2008, and the Texas Election Code (“TEC”), Section 171.02; and

Whereas, Precinct Chairs and the County Chairman are elected officers of the party; and Senate District Chairs, the Vice-Chairman, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the Legal Counsel, the Parliamentarian, and the Chairmen of the standing committees of the Executive Committee are the “party officers” of the HCRP; and

Whereas, neither the current Bylaws, nor the TEC, provide a procedure for the removal and replacement of party officers, and

Whereas, the HCRP needs to implement appropriate policies and procedures to allow for the removal and replacement of party officers by the Executive Committee under appropriate circumstances in order to assure that the HCRP continues to accomplish its legal and political purpose to advance the interests of Republican voters in Harris County.

Be It Therefore Resolved, we, the Executive Committee, refer to the Rules Committee of the HCRP the responsibility to draft amendments to the Bylaws to provide a procedure for the removal and replacement of party officers who are found to have violated the Bylaws and TEC; to have violated any state or federal law or regulation applicable to those individuals or to the party offices they hold; to have failed to meet the duties and obligations of their offices as set forth in Bylaws, laws or regulations; or to have failed to promote the mission or implement the objectives of the HCRP consistent with the responsibilities of the party offices they hold.

Respectfully Submitted,
Fishie

New Year Cheer

2009-01-25T15:02:00.000-06:00

To cheer myself up, I bring you my favorite conservative communicator.

And no, it isn't Reagan.

http://www.youtube.com/user/machosauceproduction

Fecal Roster

2009-01-23T15:28:00.000-06:00

I'm full of unprintables.

That's about all I have right now - unprintable names that I've been chomping down on to keep from saying them. I think God heard them anyway. He's heard me going down my fecal roster, and I think He understands.

First on my Fecal Roster is the House of Representatives, ready and willing to spend my unborn grandchildren's effort and sweat to prop up a socialist-leaning economy. Hell, at this rate, my kids might not be able to afford to have kids. But that's okay, because my girls can of course, by then, take advantage of fully-subsidized abortions, at least until the Left realizes that they've killed all the potential taxpayers that could have paid the freight for their largess. Then maybe they'll be mandating at least four children per family. Or encourage polygamy.

Second on the list is the Senate, fully expected to confirm Timothy Geithner as Treasury Secretary, despite his apparent skill at avoiding paying his taxes. I don't know why I am so foolish, but I expect the PRETENSE, if not the actual fact, that the members of the Senate have some sort of standards, including not confirming actual criminals. And they get a hickory switch on the bailout too. My own senators are supposed to be so conservative. Watch; they'll fall in line. I have no faith left.

Third on the list is a good portion of American electorate, who put us in this predicament by electing representatives and senators who have no concept that taxes are really only government-sanctioned theivery. If I could design a recovery that would only benefit people smart enough to be responsible, I'd spend everything I had to institute it.

Oh, wait, there is one. It's called capitalism.

Word Cloud

2009-01-21T10:50:00.000-06:00

I didn't know what a word cloud was until recently. Apparently it tracks the most frequently used words of a blog, a speech, a poster. And it is revealing. Matthew 12:34 says "The mouth speaks about what overflows from the heart."

You learn a lot reading a word cloud.

So with that, Marshall Kirkpatrick at ReadWriteWeb posted several word clouds from inaugural speeches, including Obama, Lincoln, Bush, Clinton and Reagan.

So revealing.

h/t justin_hart

Why Conservative?

2009-01-20T23:36:00.000-06:00

I'm not good at articulating that in a concise manner; usually I rant for hours until my husband starts to snore. But someone in the Twitterverse asked me that tonight, and it made me think. With a 140 character limit to a post, I got it down to two. (My husband will be most pleased.) I added some missing words for clarity, but this nutshells most of it.

I don't like to trust "feelings" to make decisions, I need a better mechanism. I believe in meritocracy, liberty, self reliance and the idea that a society that has winners & losers motivates more to try to be winners.

I think that's clear enough.

You Can't Do That

2009-01-17T19:04:00.000-06:00

What is wrong with this country?

Everyone knows that it's wrong to engage in voter fraud, and yet the Texas Democrats explode when Texas Republicans try to do one little thing about reducing it. Further, the Left all seem to get on the same page while going off. (h/t: Lone Star Times)

Everyone knows lying under oath is a serious thing, yet the whole nation remembers what happened the last time someone tried to hold a Powerful Democrat to account for a number of whoppers under oath.

I've given up trying to figure it out. There are a lot of things going on that are wrong, and people simply wink at it, tell you not to make such a big deal over a little thing. And you're left with a teeny little voice declaring "But it's still WRONG!"

There is no "You can't DO that!!" left anymore. There's only "Watch me."

This picture is wrong for so many reasons. And there isn't anyone on the Left who knows better who will dare stand up and say it.

Thanks to Inside Charm City for getting it out there, and Michelle Malkin for passing it on.

Leave Us Alone

2009-01-16T12:49:00.000-06:00

Whatever you might think of Grover Norquist, he has a book out recently that I think Republicans ought to read. Norquist is the president of Americans for Tax Reform, and has spent a lot of time studying the history of taxation in this country. Even his book's title Leave Us Alone: Getting the Government's Hands Off Our Money, Our Guns, Our Lives tells you a lot about where he is coming from.

Norquist is serious, and people are listening. Witness the first ever Debate for RNC Chair hosted by Americans for Tax Reform and moderated by Norquist himself. That's some stroke, right there, to be able to get all chair candidates for a televised debate in which almost none of the viewers are allowed to vote. Norquist calculated, correctly, that the exposure to publicity among lower-level party activists would keep the candidates engaged in talking about issues rather than merely strong-arming their way to the top of the party. It's as if the "incumbent" Duncan has none of the benefits that usually accrue to officeholders.

But back to the book. Norquist systematically analyzes the history of different tax battles in ths country, and proposes strategies and tactics to continue to push for tax cuts in many areas. He takes on the Death Tax (we have to keep calling it that!) and capital gains taxes, as well as the different ways the politicians involved have tried to confuse the issue.

The main thing I'm taking away is that there are two groups in this country. Yes, a sharply divided America, but not for the reasons the media tell you. Norquist puts it this way:

"[The Takings Coalition] views the proper role of government as taking things from one group and giving them to someone else. Taking what? Money, property, power and control.They start with money.Often for themselves. Who are they in favor of taking it from? You and me, the taxpayers."

"[The Leave Us Alone Coalition] is a coalition of groups and individuals that have one thing in common. They do not want the government to give them something. Or take something from others. On the key issue that motivates their vote, they want one simple thing from the government: They just want to be left alone."

Politicians line up generally on one side or the other. Sustainable economic development and personal freedom result from putting the Leave Us Alone Coalition representatives in power. Depressed economic conditions, loss of liberty and theft on a national scale result when the Takings bunch are in control.

It's that serious. We can argue about how this or that politician didn't line up perfectly with our views on one issue or another, but we have to face this truth. We have a much better chance of getting real economic growth and serious tax reform with a RINO than we ever will with the most centrist Democrat. Not because the centrist Democrat wouldn't want to vote for those things; he just might. But are you going to trust a first-term Democrat congressman to go up successfully against Nancy Pelosi?

The reason ANY centrist Democrats were elected in the recent past is because in the past Daschle and Reid and Pelosi allowed them to run as far to the right as they wanted in campaigns, as long as they understood that when the votes came down, they had to deliver. And apparently we weren't focused on winning, but on making a point.

In order to get anything done we have to elect over 62 Republicans to the Senate (to allow for squishiness) and significantly more than a majority in the House. If that's not JOB #1 right now, we're wasting our breath, and we'll lose a generation or two of opportunity to thwart the Takers from using our money to buy votes and power for themselves.

Choose now. The work has already begun for 2010.

Ya Wanna Fight?

2009-01-14T15:19:00.000-06:00

I love that phrase. My Bigun used to say that with me when we'd have a pillow fight, and the little Critter used it years later when she wanted to wrestle or something. Usually it's accompanied by upraised fists and a comically snarly visage. It's always been something of a joke around the house.

But now it's taking on more serious connotations.

Harris County is poised to turn completely Democrat in a short period of time, and I'm not okay with that. All other large cities in the country are suffering, from one degree or another, from the fiscal and social problems that come with Democrats running them. I'm not willing to see Houston go the same way, and I propose to fight.

But the fight, contrary to common belief, isn't with the current Republican leadership, though some would like to make it so. However, there are some confrontations that will have to take place. When a friend involved in the Rebuild the Party effort here began publicizing our meeting tonight, a local candidate (who lost, by the way) asked him whether the county chairman had sanctioned our meeting.

Excuse me?

Yeah, I'll take on that fight. I'll stand up for our opportunity, no, our NECESSITY to question the current methods and tactics of the leadership. I'll stand up and ask the hard questions, such as: "Where were you during the election?" and "Why don't you answer e-mails requesting help?" Furthermore I don't need, and my cohorts don't need, sanction from any part of the party, official or not; chairman or not.

I'm DONE with making nice as if it's the only priority on the table. I'm DONE with hearing "We'll get back on top in the off-year election, wait and see." Waiting and seeing isn't going to accomplish ANYTHING. And making nice without demanding more is going to mean one thing: we'll all be hugging each other at our pity parties in 2010 and 2012.

I'm ready to fight for Republicans to get elected, not to fight within the party. But trust me, I will continue to be advocating for change in the way we do things. We can argue all year about what needs to be done, but I say this:

Ya wanna fight, or ya wanna WIN?

I choose win.

Recruitment

2009-01-11T21:57:00.001-06:00

It's been documented by Kathy Haigler, Secretary of the Republican Party of Texas, that Harris County has a precinct Chair vacancy problem. You can read the numbers here if you're interested, but even the summation will stun:

Countywide, the GOP has a precinct chair vacancy rate of almost 50%.
Countywide the Democrats have a precinct chair vacancy rate of around 26%.

And that was before the county shifted blue. And also probably a good measure of WHY it shifted.

So what's to be done? I can tell you what I'm doing.

While working on a campaign last spring, I got a copy of all Republican primary voters who voted in March. I forgot I had it saved on the computer until last night. In a matter of minutes I had the list sorted by Senate District and precinct. Once I compared it to the list of vacant precincts from the local party, I removed all voters from the precincts that had chairs. Whoever was left was placed on a list to give to activists who are recruiting.

Now the activists will have a list of everyone:

* who cared enough to come out for the primary in March
* who cared enough to vote Republican in an area where Republicans are often scarce
* who voted in a primary that did NOT feature Obama as a choice.

If a precinct has 25 Republican primary voters, it's just a matter of contacting them, getting them together to form a grassroots team, and finding one who agrees to be the party representative by running for precinct chair.

The hard work will be done by the people on the ground doing the recruiting, but hopefully I put a tool in their hands that will get some teams in place before summer.

You learn quickly that there is always something a person can do.

Public Service Announcement

2009-01-09T18:15:00.001-06:00

One of these days I'm going to get my notes together and work on a Parliamentary Procedure Primer. I know it looks a little intimidating to see people in a meeting zipping through motions and wishing you knew what to say to make your point, or even wishing you knew what was going on. So in the interest of helping myself study by teaching others, here's a little cheat sheet on parliamentary terms.

Main Motion - The initial topic being discussed. Imagine a series of stepping stones on a path. This is step one. (I move we hold a car wash fundraiser.)

Postpone Indefinitely - Kill (for the remainder of the term) the motion at hand. Once postponed indefinitely this topic is DEAD. (I move to postpone the motion indefinitely.) If this motion fails, you can keep going.

Amendment - Proposal to tweak that main motion. (I move to strike the words "car wash" and insert the word "carnival.")

Secondary Amendment - Further tweaking the tweaking of the motion. (I move to insert the words "and bake sale" after "carnival.)

Commit or Refer - Send the motion to a committee to report back to the body. (I move to refer the question to the fundraising committee.) This puts the original question AND the amendments (or anything else attached to that motion)in the hands of the committee.

Postpone to a Certain Time - Put the discussion off for a while, until a certain hour or until after a certain event has occurred. (I move to postpone the question until after lunch.)

Limit Debate or Extend Limits of Debate - agree to change the existing rules regarding debate. (I move we allow twenty minutes for debate on this motion rather than the usual ten minutes allowed.)

Call the (Previous) Question - cut to the chase, get to the vote. When the question is called, debate is through and the motion goes to a vote. Remember, this is only the most recent motion unless otherwise specified. If the question on an amendment only is called, this forces the vote on the amendment. Then you still have to step back down to the original motion. (I call the previous question [with all adhering motions.])

(Lay on the) Table - NOT a motion killer, despite its popular use as such (remember, that's Postpone Indefinitely.) Instead this motion "lays on the (secretary's) table" the motion until the body decides to pick it up again. There are rules for how long it can lay there, but just remember, it doesn't kill a motion; instead it schedules it to be picked up as Old Business in the next meeting. If it isn't taken up then, it "falls to the floor." (I move to table the motion.)

Recess - a move to take a break for a specified time. (I move we recess for fifteen minutes while the speaker is setting up his equipment.)

Adjourn - pack up and go home, you're done. This is the end, and all business is done that the body wants to conduct. One warning: if you're in a convention, don't leave until it's adjourned SINE DIE (without day). That means the convention body is totally excused, and nobody can reopen the convention to discuss more business - the body is terminated. (I move to adjourn.)

Those are most of the important motions in order of rank, lowest to highest.

Some others to remember are:

Point of Information - I need something clarified.

Point of Order - I don't think something is being done correctly - please rule on that objection.

Division of the House - I don't trust the voice vote, we need to repeat the vote by having members stand to vote.

Hopefully that helped clarify what some of the motions mean, and how to use them. Follow along in the next meeting you attend and see if it helps, then let me know!

Nightmare Scenario

2009-01-08T20:07:00.000-06:00

OK, I don't usually get so weirded out by a random thought roaming around between my ears. And I know I promised to concentrate on local topics as much as possible. But on the way home from work listening to a radio talk host discuss Obama appointments, I had a strange what-if come to mind. Or a series of them.

What if the objections some Democrats are raising to Obama's appointments are for show?

What if Senate Democrats are only pretending to have reservations about, say, Leon Panetta?

What if the whole thing is being ginned up by all of them to help Obama separate himself and his image a little from the more liberal of his colleagues?

And what if they all planned this because they learned so well from Bill Clinton about triangulation?

What if this is all a show to give Obama an opportunity to say "I took on my own party"?

And what if it's all designed to position him for a landslide in 2012?

/nightmare

Lights, Law, Liberty

2009-01-06T20:39:00.000-06:00

I just read Last Light by Terri Blackstock. It was a departure from my recent fare of books with political slants to them. I figured I was due for some fiction. The premise of the book is an unknown event that shuts down all technology, presumably in the entire world. Airplanes fall out of the sky, cars refuse to work, telephones and lights are out, the whole deal. In the course of the story the family profiled has to learn to work around the lack of technology as well as the danger posed by other people loosed from the restraint of law enforcement.

Though the book's focus is practical Christianity in the midst of that struggle, I focused more on the societal aspects.

The characters find themselves in some difficulty. What to do with the garbage? How to wash clothes and bathe? What to eat? How much? Keep the windows open to keep cool, or lock up to keep thieves out? Share with others or keep supplies to themselves? But those practical details only frame the story.

Soon, a neighbor is murdered, and then several more, and the houses raided for stores and useful items. Law enforcement, in the form of Sheriff Deputies on bicycles, has no way to cope with the challenge, and no hope of solving the crimes. Vigilantes settle on the family's next-door neighbor as a likely culprit, opening up another set of challenges.

Pair that with this interesting video about forms of government, and you get some difficulty sleeping at night.

Both make the case that without law, there can be no freedom.

That sounds odd at first, but if you have to guard your stuff at all times, like the family in the book, you can't devote time to other things. You can't go far from your stuff; or if you must go somewhere, you have to take it all with you, severely limiting your mobility. Having laws, and representatives of order to enforce those laws, allows you to leave the job of protecting your stuff (and your person) to someone else so you can tend to other necessities.

Aside from the freak-out factor of a world without a computer or a television or even a radio, imagine a world where you either have to 1) ally yourself with people you aren't sure you can trust or 2) isolate yourself completely and depend only upon your own abilities.

Sure, it's a far-fetched scenario. But it does make it possible to visualize why laws actually can help make us more free. And why it is so important who we choose to write, implement, and interpret those laws.

Hate It When That Happens

2009-01-05T23:27:00.000-06:00

I was all set to go on about some earth-shattering revelation I had while reading Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg. Then I forgot. Crap.

From Spectator to Activist

2009-01-03T20:31:00.000-06:00

I've been more active than most people I know in politics. I've been to conventions and served in convention leadership. I've joined campaigns and worked for candidates. I've walked blocks (streetwalking, my husband teases) and written endorsements and planned political events.

Twelve years ago, I didn't do anything but vote. I remember having to take a day off work in Austin so I could go back home and vote in some election because I never bothered to change my registration. I read up on candidates and the issues, but not in the way I do now. I admit it. I was supremely lazy.

Since having my second child and buying a house and settling down, I have become much more radical in my political involvement. I don't know what changed, really, except that it did.

Now I'm starting the new year with a lot on my plate. I'm working with others to train non-tech-savvy people to learn the technology that's out there, and harness it for conservative ends. I'm helping to fill precinct chair vacancies. I'm part of a committee to better organize local political divisions. I'm studying for the upcoming political season, including school board elections that are right around the corner. In there somewhere, I'm also studying for the Registered Parliamentarian exam, serving on a committee with the county party, and planning a run for a state party office.

WHO did this to me?

Anyway, one of the things I realized today is that it's hard to mobilize people to take action. For instance, the Texas Childrens' Bill of Rights that's being introduced in this upcoming session. This is utter lunacy, and yet I would wager that I can't get ten people to read it, much less do anything about fighting it.

And then there's the problem of effectiveness. Once you have someone's attention and committment to take an action step, where do you send them? There may be a hundred offensive bills up for consideration in the Legislature. Where do you concentrate your effort? And how do you get the information out to people who WILL take action in a way that doesn't overwhelm them? How do you get over the glut of panicked e-mails we receive every day on topics from abortion to welfare reform?

There has to be a clearinghouse somewhere that collates all the threats to liberty and conservative values. There has to be a place where you can read about the Dunkirk movement (calling for Christian parents to rescue their children from public schools) and the Texas Speaker's Race and the Blocker Bill.

I'm on the hunt. And if I don't find something that fits the bill, I'm creating it.

LOLCats in Politics

2009-01-02T14:26:00.000-06:00

Posterboard: $1

Marker: $1.35

Stylish Cammo Head Covering: $14

Revealing your ignorance to the world: PRICELESS.

icanhascheezburger.com

Sound Familiar?

2009-01-02T00:26:00.000-06:00

Jonah Goldberg wrote this in 2007:

Mussolini himself coined the term (totalitarian) to describe a society where everybody belonged, where everyone was taken care of, where everything was inside the state and nothing was outside: where truly no child was left behind...it is my argument that American liberalism is a totalitarian political religion...

...it is nice, not brutal. Nannying, not bullying. But it is definitely totalitarian - or "holistic," if you prefer - in that liberalism today sees no realm of human life that is beyond political significance, from what you eat to what you smoke to what you say. Sex is political. Food is political. Sports, entertainment, your inner motives and outer appearance, all have political salience for liberal fascists. Liberals place their faith in priestly experts who know better, who plan, exhort, badger, and scold...

...The conservative or classical liberal vision understands that life is unfair, that man is flawed, and that the only perfect society, the only real utopia, waits for us in the next life...

...what unites [fascisms] are their emotional or instinctual impulses, such as the quest for community, the urge to "get beyond" politics, a faith in the perfectibility of man and the authority of experts, and an obsession with the aesthetics of youth, the cult of action, and the need for an all-powerful state to coordinate society at the national or global level.

I don't know about you, but that scares the fire out of me.

New Year's Resolutions

2009-01-01T16:47:00.000-06:00

Today's the day - first day of the new year and everyone's making resolutions. Eat less. Exercise more. Read more. Get organized. Spend more time with family.

Yes, I'd like to get all those things into my to-do lists for the year. But politically, I have some resolutions that I have to get put down here.

#1. Track local political races. Though I've been involved in a few races, there are a lot of upcoming elections that I am not even aware of. No more. Starting now, I intend to learn everything I can about the local races. Local officials can get into my wallet and my home much more quickly and directly than the national guys can. In addition, I can get to talk to a local candidate much more easily than I would a Senator or President.

#2. Join a Republican Women's Club. I've avoided doing this because a) I haven't got the resources and b) I don't "do lunch." But I'm going to search out an organization that does more than listen to speakers and hold $1,000 a plate rubber-chicken dinners. Not that all RW groups do that, but that's all that a lot of them that reach my consciousness do.

#3. Recruit more precinct chairs. I've already begun this one, but I need to put it in gear. In elections, the most important asset a campaign can have is "boots on the ground." Filling precinct chair vacancies is a start in the right direction.

There, that's a good start.

Something to Talk About

2008-12-31T15:43:00.000-06:00

I'm following local politics as best I can, and one thing I'm learning about it: you'll never know how much you don't know.

Today I had a chance to sit at the feet of a local political consultant and activist. This person knows enough local dirt to fill volumes. I heard names that were entirely new to me, names of people who "make things happen" in the county party. I heard stories of rivalries, alliances, grudging peaces forged and figurative cage matches declared. I heard warnings as well as endorsements. I heard financial details as well as personal differences.

I realized something walking out of there: that there is a LOT more to this party than you see at first. Pick up even the most benign-looking log on the trail and all manner of creepy things crawl out from under it. Rumors, false accusations, power plays,... a regular Shakespearean cast of characters.

I'm glad I'm in a position to hear things, but I want to stress this: if you look at the people in the party as your motivation or inspiration, you will be disillusioned time and again. We must look at the principles and values we share, and we must support the people who forward them. Yes, even if they have some dirty laundry or less-than-sterling motives.

But we must also fight to make sure we aren't trusting empty suits on power trips to carry our values forward. That approach has got us nowhere. It isn't the fault of leadership if they suck. It's our fault. And we're the only ones who can fix it.

Harris County Leadership Challenge

2008-12-30T20:51:00.001-06:00

I've been told these stats come from the Republican Party of Texas...

Of the 254 counties in Texas:

Republicans gained votes in 140 counties with 2,438,604 registered voters
Democrats gained votes in 114 counties with 11,136,458 registered voters.

The 50 fastest growing Republican counties in Texas have a total of 637,694 registered voters
The 50 fastest growing Democratic counties have a total of 8,959,881 registered voters.

(h/t Future of the HCRP)

That's pretty daunting.

And the largest county in Texas, and one of the largest counties in the country, and one of the only "red" urban counties, is Harris County, the epicenter of it all. This year, Harris County suffered tremendous losses in countywide races. The damage was not total devastation, as happened to Dallas county just a few years ago. But one more bad election cycle will put Harris firmly in the "blue" category.

Today, Ed Hubbard openly challenged current HCRP chair Jared Woodfill: Either offer a plan for turning the trend around in Harris county and winning in 2009 and 2010, or step down and let another person with an actual plan lead. It's unclear whether Woodfill plans to respond to this challenge or ignore it, but rumors around political circles say Jared isn't going anywhere. One party insider told me Jared has stated privately that he has $500,000 to throw at any challengers to beat them back.

That's nice.

I bet there are some candidates who would have preferred a little piece of that $500,000 to help them in their campaigns this fall.

No matter what happens with the leadership, no matter who leads the party in the coming years, one thing is clear. The Harris County Republican Party has a lot of work to do if its goal is to continue to elect Republicans to office. Right now, the prospects aren't looking so good.

New Year, New View

2008-12-30T14:27:00.000-06:00

Though I've blogged a bit elsewhere, I think it's time to focus on the political sphere, and what I'm doing in it. Harris County, home of Houston Texas, is changing politically, demographically, economically and in many other ways. I've heard it said in several places that Harris County is Ground Zero for the future of the Republican Party as a whole. If that's true, then I have a ringside seat. Or a place in the clown car anyway.

At present I'm a precinct chair in the far west part of the county. I also serve on the Rules committee for the county party, and in leadership for my Senate District. I've been a precinct chair for a little over a year, but I've been involved in the convention process for the Republican party for over ten years. I'm very opinionated and outspoken, and I don't always get it right by any means.

But I do believe in the platform of the Republican party, and the stand it takes.
I believe in the people who crafted it.
I believe in the people who go to work in unglamorous jobs every day making a living for their families.
I believe in servant leadership, and in an electorate that holds politicians accountable.
I believe that what we do as a nation is what we are, and that it's our obligation to know what is happening in our government.

I believe that following politics is more important than following my favorite sports team.
I believe this because Drayton McLane can't get into my wallet but Barak Obama definitely can.

Most of all, I believe this is where I am supposed to be. A Sovereign God gave me this awful curiosity and enthusiasm for politics, and placed me where I can do the most ~~damage~~ good.

I hope readers find something interesting here, something to care about, something worth fighting for. At the least, they'll be able to watch me fall, get back up, and fall again, and laugh with me at myself.